We Are A Dying Breed
by calatheil
Summary: We are a dying kind, the Naira. Exiled from our lands. We will send one of our own to follow the ring and and return to our lands beyond the shores. She will be our champion and our slave but she does not know it yet. Her heart and mind are not the same and she has many scars; not all visible to see. Will you hear her tale or will you deny us our story? (Tenth walker Legolas/OC) AU
1. Chapter 1

**We Are A Dying Breed**

Warning: some chapters include torture, mentions of assault and self harming

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_We are a dying kind. Our lands are far away. Magic and mystery were once our friends but we have left them for the sword. Look at our eyes. Do you see how they change as we do. Do you know the power of forever as we do. Can you send us home to our lands that bore us, our poor war-torn home. Can you heal our scars and bring back our families or will you banish us. Us who fight against Eru and Melkor. Us who have toiled long under sun and shade. Us who have forsaken all emotion to hide our scars. Can you rid us off our scars? Or will you frown upon us as a dying flame as all others do. Will you call us hateful and cruel. Will you run from us when you see our fangs, our wings or our changing form. Middle Earth is not our home. We have been sent to it from our beloved Termoree to face crimes of betrayal against the one who made us, who tore our lives apart. We are the broken race, the dying kind. Will you hear our story? Or will you turn away? _

She sighed; the cold dark seeping through the cracks was penetrating her soul. The sound of her screams still echoed round the cold cell in which she was held. Damn Glorfindel and all the elves of Rivendell, if he had not said the words "I bet" she would not be here in the darkest place in middle earth, in the hardest place to get out of: the tower of Barad Dur. The sound of footfall echoed against the dank tunnels, an orc guard, whom she did not know the name, glared in through the bars, before unlocking it. Eruanna shrank against the damp wall. "Come on my pretty, the boss wants to question you, again" the orc cooed, grabbing her wrist he dragged her down the winding passage she had become familiar with over the last year, her mind went back to Glorfindel's bet.

_The sun high in the clear blue of the sky when the scouting party returned. Glorfindel had dismounted his horse wearily and gone to report to Elrond. Eruanna turned her gaze back to the target, engrossed in her training. She raised the bow and tried to aim it towards the target. The arrow missed and embedded itself in the tree nearby. She tried again frustrated that she could not learn to shoot. "If you held the bow vertically instead of how you're holding it now you will be able to pull the sting back further and find your aim, not to mention it will lessen the damage to your hands" Glorfindel called out from the to of the steps. She sighed in irritation, what did he know about archery? "Here" he said, turning the bow the right way round and helping her position it. She drew back the arrow and released it but still missed. "Clearly you are not as knowledgeable of this as you would like to believe" Eruanna remarked. "I know how to use a bow. I have killed many an orc in my time with a bow. Why I bet you could not even kill one" he retorted. "I could kill every orc in mordor" Eruanna muttered coldly, feeling her pride shrink inside her. "I bet you couldn't even kill fifteen" he taunted. "Really? I think I will have to prove you wrong" she snapped. "Fetch me a horse" she demanded of the young squire nearby. It dawned on Glorfindel then that he had gone too far. "Eruanna, I do not doubt your skill in battle, you needed prove it" he said backtracking rapidly. "You have insulted my honor, I must put it right" she answered simply stalking off to find where the squire had gotten to. _

_For days she had ridden over hills and fields heading east towards the darkening skyline. She had found the concealed entrance to the tunnels under the black gate and had slipped through with ease. Long ago when the enemy of all people had built the black gate her people had built ways into mordor to escape should their battles on the battle go ill. It was easy to find orcs for it seemed they where growing numbers in these tunnels and she dispatched the first five with ease, unsheathing her long sword and beheading two in one fast swing. Another ran towards her, at the last moment she dodged it and brought her blade across his back. She kicked one orc across the passage and he went flying back, whether because of shock or a broken neck he just stayed where he had fallen. The last orc was tall and sported a Gondorian sword, evidently won in a skirmish, he swung for her head but with a single move she dropped to her knees and pushed her sword up inside his rib cage. Then an alarm was sounded and she found herself facing a small army. "Come on then I don't bite...hard" Eruanna teased. They had thrown themselves at her and she had fought with all her might but her body was tired from the long days traveling and was soon overpowered. She had been thrown in a dungeon and left there for the rats. _

The orc stopped, opened the slimy green door which she knew as the mouth of torment and two other orcs, grabbed her, Eruanna screamed in defiance, snarling at one or the laughing orcs who abruptly stopped his cackle. Smirking she felt the cold, harsh irons clamp on her wrists and ankles. Then the orcs began to sing in their foul tongue but Eruanna knew what it meant, closing her eyes she prayed to all the Valar, Elves, Men and Dwarves for it to stop, but she knew it wouldn't. Boil her, fry her, sizzle her, Scald her,burn her, make a blaze and hear her scream. Tear her, Bleed her, Rake her dry Twist her, turn her, till she cry and make her scream, oh yes make her scream. She gritted her teeth as a whip came down across her back, tearing into her skin. She would not scream, she couldn't. The whip came down again and pain flared across her back and down her legs. "Tell us what you know" ordered the orc. "I will never tell you anything" Eruanna spat as the whip came down once more. "Burn her" the orc demanded. Out of the corner of the eyes she saw them melting iron into a small dish. The guards brought it over, "You know what this is don't you?" he hissed, dropping the liquid metal onto her skin. She let out a groan of pain and the orc began to tip more over the backs of her legs. She screamed in agony and the orcs laughed as they melted more iron. They forced her mouth open and poured the burning solution down her throat. She tried spitting it out but they gagged her as it seared her insides. They forced her onto a rack and pulled at her limbs. She could not speak so they gave up asking but continued the torture for some time till they grew bored and dropped her back in her cell. She knew in a few days time they would be back when her throat had healed and her captors had finished with the other prisoners. Pressing herself against the cold wall in an attempt to soothe her burns she felt the bricks crumble. She turned around and dragged her nails down the stone more of the wall and came away. Mustering up her strength she threw herself against the wall. The brick moved a few inches. She pushed again over and over until it finally gave way sending her sprawling into a narrow corridor.

She grinned into the dimly lit passageway until she heard harsh voices, she searched frantically for a hiding place. A goblin-sized door presented itself and Eruanna quickly opened it. It was a small room filled with discarded armor and weapons that had been confiscated from the prisoners. A small goblin barged in but before he had change to shout she wrung his neck. She found her weaponry and armor discarded in a heap and donned it quickly before creeping her way out of the room. She was much nearer the surface than she had thought and it seemed the guards where lacking in their duty's and where brawling with one another over a piece of meat, such disregard for duty in the naira army was punishable by death but she did not complain. "Poor sods" Eruanna thought seeing the disemboweled dwarf lying in the corner of the room and several more shivering in fear. If they had been her one of her kind she would have gone in to aid them but they where such a lowly race that she cared little for their fate. The fresh air was a welcoming feeling and she breathed it in relishing the sweetness of it. She headed away from the tower, wrapped in black from head to toe as the nazguls did. It was a petty disguise but most of the orcs where fooled and those that questioned it met their doom. Once reaching a disused track she ran, her ankles burned with pain, her muscles ached, her skin bled from the welts on her arm but she was free. Laughing, she sat down; the orcs would not follow her now. Tearing strips from her dress, to make bandages, she thought about her escape, it had been laughably easy . Leaning against the boulder she smiled, it was time to find a village that would have a Naira. Maybe she should go to Rivendell, first she'd go there, tell Elrond of the movement in Mordor, and then find her the Matis clan. It was strange to know that she was the last of her house, her living siblings having disowned the title, when there where so many other naira but now their once great races blood were mixed with that of mortals and they were so easy to kill. Sighing Eruanna stood, clicked her fingers and the silver glimmer of magic transformed her torn and bloodied clothing before screaming across the wasteland:"I'm free, free, no oath nor bond may ever hold me" but as she said these words she knew it would not be for long. The world would always be punishing her for her faults.

The road to Rivendell was far too tiresome for her to make it in the time she had hoped. Eruanna rested by a stream, snaking on the fish she had managed to catch. After some days walking the lands began to change into think green meadows than after some more days the misty mountains grew ever closer. By the time she had reach Rivendell, Eruanna was utterly exhausted, her body had been pushed to its limits. They welcomed her back with open arms and told her strange tales of what had happened in her absence. She was then told to be expected at a council in two days' time but she was too wary to ask why. She decided it better to wait to find out.

Glorfindel 

It was late in the day when Glorfindel plucked up the courage to visit her. When he did he found her lolling in a bath with water a deep shade of orange that was turning redder by the second. There was a knife at the side of the tub along with a large bottle of strong ale. She was gazing intently at her wrists which oozed a sticky red liquid. When she saw him she hid them below the water, smiling innocently. He lowered his eyes and she giggled. "You needn't do that, we have fought together, I think you have seen far too much of me already. If you want to make it up to me you can start by changing this water it's utterly filthy" she giggled, taking a large swig of from the bottle and waving one leg in the air. "Ay, You're drunk" he thought to himself and he poured some fresh water into the bath for her. He saw the knife and kicked it out-of-the-way, her habits and strange fascination with causing herself pain unnerved him and it was unnatural for such practices among his kind but among hers he did not know. Yet it was not something he wished to witness. She scowled at him and took another swig of her drink as he attempted to scrub some of the filth off her. "You always look so handsome when you frown" she mused out loud before a giggle escaped her. "And you always look so disgusting when you come back of one of your adventures" he retorted. He had no desire for her anymore. There had been a short period where he had followed her round like a lost puppy but she had treated him with such cold indifference that he had lost all interest in her. She took another swig of the drink and hiccupped mournfully. "You cannot keep drinking that, you are to meet the guests shortly and you are in no fit state to do so" Glorfindel complained. "Tell them I am a princess and I do things in my own time" she muttered gulping down more ale. "Ay, you are an insolent child" he said testily, his patience was wearing thin. "I don't want to be a princess. They always meet grisly ends" she blurted. Glorfindel snorted "You don't want a life that so many crave?" She shook her head, sipping the drink slowly. "It's so boring and I always feel so trapped. I want a life where I am equal to everyone else" she sighed. He smiled sympathetically before she splashed him, the water soaking and staining his white tunic. "I shall have to tell Elrond that you are otherwise engaged. You cannot be presenting yourself in such a state" he decided for her."From what I hear the council will last all day. You shall be able to get to know them then" he told her, handing the towel to her and averting his eyes as she bundled herself into it. He waited till she was getting dressed before explaining what the council was about. "It all sounds so dreadfully boring" she said from behind the clothing screen. "Yes, but it is important you turn up and you turn up sober for once" He answered, picking up her bottle. Her head appeared over the top of the screen. "What do you mean for once?" she slurred. "You know full well what I mean" he answered curtly. She sauntered out from behind the parting and headed for the door before he turned her around in the direction of her bed. Once he saw that she as settled he went off to give Elrond the news of her return, and to hide the bottle somewhere Eruanna would not find it.

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Thank you ever so much to my wonderful beta reader Ieatvampiresfor breakfast! Thank you all for reading


	2. Chapter 2

Eruanna sat in front of her mirror humming to herself. She made a half-hearted attempt to fix her hair into the headdress she had decided to wear. She then bandaged her wrists to hide the wounds she had from prying eyes and stood up. She took one step and fell over the hem of the dress. Elrond had told her that she was to look presentable and she had tried her best, alas she could not even walk in the gown she had been lent by Arwen. Glorfindel knocked on the door and slipped into the room.  
"Not a word." Eruanna hissed when she saw the smug expression on his face as she fell over for the second time.  
"Perhaps it would be wise to hold up the edge of your gown?" he asked graciously. Eruanna glowered at him before lifting the skirt up and stalking out of the room. They arrived early and Eruanna seated herself on the floor by Glorfindel so as to get a better view of the other members of the council without having any notice taken of her.  
Soon the chamber began filling up with all kinds of people. She watched in interest and studied each face with great delight. Drunkard. Fool. Prissy. Nobleman. Men were as easy to read as a book yet like so many books written they lacked much substance. Wealthy. Lord. Proud. Squire. Dwarves were intriguing creatures and where far more interesting to observe and where a challenge to read though she thought it due to facial hair. New comer. Afraid. Strong. The halfling was far from easy to read and like the elves was clouded in mystery but unlike the elves it made her uneasy that she could not understand him.  
"I have never met a woman who can defeat her own reflection let alone an orc." joked one man. Rage seethed through her and she felt a hand grip her shoulder firmly. She looked up to see Glorfindel looking at the man with disdain, he looked at her.  
"There is a time and a place for violence." he said coolly before removing his grip on her shoulder.  
As the sun rose higher, the council was well under way. Eruanna sat indignantly on the cool stone, still fuming from Boromir's earlier insult about female warriors being stupid. The man was now going on about how the ring of power would help Gondor. If only he had seen the destruction of her own lands, then he would see the power and malice that the ring truly possessed. She wondered whether to let him carry on his speech or let spite win out and put him to shame. Eruanna lifted her legs up to her chest and rested her head on her knees. Sensing Glorfindel looking down at her from his chair, she glanced at her friend and yawned loudly, he pulled a funny face to make her laugh, she grinned at him and pulled one back. He tried, unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh and Boromir frowned at him.

"Gelir na thaed." he whispered, and turned back to the ever boring meeting. Eruanna looked round at the faces of those present, there were a few Elves she knew and dwarfs of which she hoped she never would have to see again. Men from all of Middle Earth and hobbits from the Shire, they were small and odd-looking but Eruanna thought worthy of her time. Then she heard him, the young wood elf that all the elf maids of Imladris had been talking about, but she knew that voice from her past, and it was woven into so many youthful adventures. Straining to see his face more clearly, even with her good eyesight it was hard to make him out as Glorfindel was sitting in the way. Just as she had given up on deciding who he was, she heard his name. "Legolas sit down." came Aragorn's, soft voice. Eruanna jumped. "Legolas, Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil, it cannot be." she whispered to herself, peering round Glorfindel's thighs. She saw his face, "It is him and all grown up, I see why the elf maids do love him so" she thought, remembering him, sitting on the grass outside his palace, with her sitting beside him, talking about myths and magic. Her thoughts were interrupted by raised voices, the dwarf, Gimli was yelling at Legolas, Eruanna felt a flash of rage flare through her, he was insulting not only Legolas, but every elf in Middle Earth, they were not her own kin but they were as good as, and her loyalty to her kin drove her spiteful rage. To many of the council's surprise, Eruanna let fly a string of colourful language. Glorfindel stood to stop her from laying her hands upon his throat. The rest of the elves stood up to shout more insults at the dwarves.  
Eruanna stepped back into the shadows and watched her work unfold. She then noticed the hobbit, Frodo, standing up, and trying to speak.  
"Shut up!" Eruanna's shrieked, making herself dizzy with the effort of raising her voice to such a high volume, "Frodo wants to speak." There was absolute silence. To Eruanna's surprise, the hobbit, said the words none wanted to say.  
"I will take it, I will take the ring to Mordor, though I do not know the way" one by one, Eruanna watched others offer their help to the hobbit.  
"I'll go, I've been before, and I will help, if you will have an ill-tempered naira in your company." The words slipped out of her lips before she could stop them, everyone turned to stare.  
"No, Eruanna you will not do such thing, I forbid you." Elrond's voice broke the stunned silence. Eruanna looked at him.

"You cannot stop me, I am bound by an oath and I must aid whoever carries the One Ring on whatever path he or she chooses, It is the oath of my people, and I am the last of them, I cannot break it or I will diminish with the rest of my kin" Eruanna sighed, her people had sworn an oath, and now she only had one choice, and that was to carry it out.  
"Then I cannot argue, you shall, go to Mordor" Elrond said reluctantly. Then out of the bushes three hobbits came  
"And you shan't be leaving us behind!" said one,  
"You would have to tie us in a sack to stop us!" said the others in unison,  
"Then it is settled, you shall be the fellowship of the ring" Elrond announced.

The gardens of Imladris where at night peaceful and Eruanna wandered round them in relative contentment. There was the sound of an owl in the distance and the whir of crickets in the longer grasses. Ordinarily on such a night she would be joining in with the celebrations and taking advantage of the excellent wine but the guests were less than friendly and had driven her to walk the moonlit paths of the valley. It was then she saw Elrond standing on a nearby bridge examining her with acute precision as a healer does a sick child. At first she attempted to ignore his presence but at length she chose to join him.

"I see you are not enjoying the comforts that wine brings you tonight." Elrond examined as she stepped up beside him.  
"I dislike dwarves. One experience of their table manners has put me off for life." Eruanna explained callously.  
"Yet you have chosen to spend a journey with one." Elrond said amused. She glared at him before gazing out over the silver streams. "I do not recommend you to go on this venture Eruanna. You do not get on well with others and I fear you will not cope with taking orders from men or even dwarves." he advised calmly.  
"If I do not go my soul will be damned to an eternity of banishment from those I hold dear, along with all of those who sailed across the sea to these lands." Eruanna replied sadly. "Glorfindel told me of you relapse." he said after a moment.  
"It was a moments weakness. It will not happen again, I am certain." she mumbled gazing up at the moon.

"What troubles you young one?" he asked gently.  
"Memories trouble me. So many dark memories" she answered after a short pause.  
"It is not the only thing playing on your mind. You can hide your emotions well Eruanna, too well, but you cannot hide ones you are unaccustomed to. I believe affection is one you struggle with." Elrond answered.  
"I don't know what you are talking about." she snapped, a little too fast for the half-elf caught the apprehensive look that flashed momentarily on her face.  
"What connection do you have with Thranduil's son?" he inquired.  
"We played together as children and I grew up in mirkwood as part of a security measure so that my father would not break his side of a treaty." she told him.  
"Where you close?" She looked at him scrupulously before nodding.  
"For a time, though I do not see any recognition of that friendship when he looks at me now." she confessed.  
"For the sake of this quest I will give you one piece of advice: make every effort to rekindle this friendship. you may find you need him before this is all over." he said calmly, turning to walk away.  
"I don't need anyone!" she called after him.  
"That's what I'm afraid of." she heard him mutter as he vanished back up to the celebrations once more.


	3. Chapter 3

Eruanna watched Legolas for a long time, considering her options.  
"He does not remember me, but I remember him." she said, turning to Glorfindel. Glorfindel seemed to be spending more and more time with her. She had decided that he felt guilty about what he'd put her through but she had already forgiven her friend. Eruanna began to smile, it quickly faded on seeing Glorfindel's face, he was looking at her wrist. He had a look of horror on his kind face. Eruanna followed his gaze, and cursed herself for not remembering to bind them. Her wrist was red and raw from where the irons had held her, the gash was pretty deep but was healing, it coiled her wrist like a gory bracelet.  
"Glorfindel-" Eruanna's started to explain but Glorfindel cut her off.  
"Who did this to you?" The elf took her wrist, and inspected it,  
"The orcs did this to me, It's not really that bad and it gives me no pain. Don't worry, please, it's not your fault." Eruanna said gently. Glorfindel shook his head;  
"Sit, I'll find the bandages." he left, faster than he had done in a while. Sighing, Eruanna sat on her bed inspecting the cuts, there was no infection nor was there any need for it to be treated. She went back over to the balcony but Legolas had finished training and was now nowhere in sight. It was unlikely he remembered her. Even if he did, it would not be appropriate to develop their friendship as they were going on an adventure they would be likely to die from. Her options were slim: she could carry on avoiding him for as long as possible. If he remembered her she could try and maintain their once close friendship or she could push him away like she did to so many others. If he had forgotten her it was simply a task of maintaining a civil but distant relationship as she planned to do with the others in the group.

A soft knock on the door made her jump, and looking up Eruanna hid her wrist under her sleeve expecting it to be another of her over concerned friends.  
"Come in." she called out, taking one last glance over the scene below before turning to face the intruder. A very blond elf slipped in timidly, she watched him from behind the silk curtain of the balcony as he glanced around, looking confused to her whereabouts before she coughed. He started slightly in surprise then smiled at her as she stepped off the balcony.  
"Eruanna? It is you isn't it?" He asked uncertainly. Laughter poured from her lips and she had to grasp the back of the chair to hold herself upright. When she finally got her breath back she smiled before answering simply  
"It's good to see you too Legolas." then she burst back into a fit of uncontrollable giggles.  
"Why are you avoiding me?" Legolas asked when she had recovered. He seemed upset, Eruanna sighed, if Legolas had a fault; he could be over sensitive.  
"Legolas, I wasn't sure if you remembered me either, please don't be offended." Eruanna smiled, her friend looked puzzled. Then she heard a noise, the door latch was lifted. "Hide behind that curtain, if Glorfindel finds you in here, he will turn you into mincemeat!" Legolas smiled back and obediently hid behind the nearest curtain.  
Glorfindel walked in carrying strips of cloth. Sighing Eruanna stretched her arm out and waited for him to finish.  
"Are you done?" Eruanna asked, Glorfindel nodded, stood and sighed  
"I must leave you, Elrond has asked me to help prepare your quest, I'll be back to check on you." the elf did not look at her but left. Legolas's head appeared by her ankle,  
"What was that all about, do I have competition?" he asked,  
"Nothing important, just fixing me up, and no, there is no competition, you will always be my favourite." she replied, Legolas snorted.  
"I'm your favourite, am I?" Eruanna glared at him.  
"Don't get cocky, or I might have to tie you upside down again." she said, grinning mischievously. "I would like to see you try. It may have worked as a threat when I was an elfling but as I remember it did not work on any of the guards when we tried it so I am not worried." Legolas retorted.  
"Oh, you should be." Eruanna chuckled. He raised one eyebrow sceptically.  
"Just ask Lindir." She continued. He smiled.  
"Before I am enraptured by you many tales of victory, I wanted to ask if you would accompany me to the celebrations this evening." Legolas asked. Eruanna stared at him.  
"You want me to dance? That is a very dangerous thing to ask of me." Eruanna said eventually.  
"I didn't say dancing; I have enough experience not to ask that of you. I meant as friends and in truth I need you to scare away the maidens. They are far more persistent here." Legolas answered blushing. Another onslaught of giggles consumed her.  
"You want me as your bodyguard!" she said through tears of laughter. The elf nodded, trying to keep up his pride and stop him from laughing too but failing. His laugh was pure and musical to her ears and her heart softened towards his plight. "Well I supposed it won't do me any harm." She considered.  
"Thank you." Legolas sighed.  
"You are more than welcome mellonin." Eruanna giggled before scooting him out of the door.

He knocked on her door long before the celebrations had even begun and she was more than happy to welcome him back. Questions about the Woodland Realm had been spinning in her mind, more to the point she wanted to know what he had managed to get up to after she had left. She sat now swirling her wine round in the glass and listening to him telling her about the new Captain of the Guard and how wonderful she was.  
"Legolas, I do not wish to be rude but she sounds dreadfully boring." Eruanna interrupted. The elf paused and looked at her curiously.  
"You asked to know if my father had appointed a new guard and what they were like." he pointed out sullenly. Eruanna put the glass to one side and lent forward dangerously.  
"I did not ask for detail." she answered coldly.  
"I barely said two words... Are you jealous?" he asked.  
"ME? Jealous. Legolas, when I'm jealous blood is usually split and I see no blood yet." She informed him.  
"You are, aren't you?" he laughed.  
"I did not rule out the possibility of blood." she threatened dryly.  
"There is merely respect between me and Tauriel, we are friends but not close." he said exasperatedly.  
"Good. I don't want to have to share my friend." Eruanna muttered. He shook his head in disbelief.  
"You can change your eye colour back now. You've proved your point." he told her.  
"My what?" she repeated.  
"Your eyes go from green to red when you are trying to be intimidating." Legolas explained.  
"I hadn't noticed." she sighed leaning back in the armchair and refilling the goblet. They both went quiet for a long while and music began to drift up through the windows.  
"I believe we are expected." Legolas said, removing the glass from her hand and draining it for her.  
"I wanted that!" she snapped.  
"So did I" Legolas retorted smugly before holding out his arm. "You're supposed to take it." he laughed as she stared at him confused.  
"Oh." she mumbled taking his arm and trying hard to hide her blushing cheeks. "Let us face the outside world" she thought, before they stepped out into the grey twilight.


	4. Chapter 4

Eruanna sat, her legs, dangling over the small bridge, her brothers, sat either side of her. She watched the brightly coloured fish swim beneath her feet shimmering like the sun's rays hitting the water. Eruanna slipped one foot into the water, the fish scattered, leaving an empty cold feeling to the water, Eruanna glanced at Elladan then Elrohir. The two Elves seemed gloomy, not trying to push her in, as they usually did.  
"What troubles you, brothers?" Eruanna asked.  
"You're going away, sister, you left us, to see the world, came back, left to Mordor, that took you a year to escape, you may not escape again." Elladan said, his face filled with sorrow. Eruanna sighed, her brothers (though not by blood) worried too much.  
"I cannot stay, my people swore an oath, to defend Middle Earth from the One Ring, until there were none of us left".  
"What is the oath you speak of?" Elrohir wondered, Eruanna smiled, Elrohir rarely spoke, but he sometimes let her and Elladan know what he was thinking.  
"The first houses of the naira swore an oath, that until the Ring was destroyed, we could not leave to our home lands in Termoree," Eruanna whispered sadly "and I'm the last of them, the rest were killed, under my father's rule, they were slaughtered. Then Sauron fooled my father, and all of the naira were almost wiped out." Eruanna blinked back her tears.  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked" Elrohir murmured. Elladan shook his head, to tell him to stop talking.

Elladan, Elrohir, get your useless selves up here now!" a voice shouted from the houses.  
"That will be Glorfindel." Elladan said grinning at her, and the both left hurriedly.  
The fish were back, swimming lazily along the bottom of the stream, Eruanna watched them, her mind turned over what she had learnt. Tomorrow she would leave and probably never come back. Boromir would not survive, she knew that much, her foresight had told her and it never lied.  
So what would become of the rest of them? Eruanna sighed in frustration, she hated not knowing but she hated knowing even more. Eruanna thought of Legolas then, he had been a childhood friend, nothing more, so why did she feel as if she could die when he left her side, why did her heart race, why did she see fireworks when he touched her. Glorfindel said she was in love but she lacked the emotions to "love."  
Eruanna looked up, the stars glistened like one thousand eyes. She felt safe here. Nothing could hurt her here, but Eruanna knew she would have to be brave, not for her sake, but for Middle Earth's. The sound of singing drifted towards her on the wind, Eruanna shivered, wrapping her arms around herself, singing her own song to drown out that of the dwarves:

"The night is fading,  
The sun has gone.  
No warmth left in the air,  
A whisper in the breeze.  
A nameless terror,  
And then the stars go out.

The air is choking,  
There is a smell of fear,  
There is movement about,  
But no one knows.  
And then the stars go out.

I can hear cries,  
A crow is calling, calling,  
it says:  
'No hope left,  
Turn back, turn back.'  
And then the stars go out.  
There is no one left,  
No children to mourn  
Their dead fathers,  
No mothers to comfort them.  
All around is silence,  
And then the stars go out.

I can see a shadow,  
Flying across the horizon,  
And then the stars go out,  
And the stars go out.  
Then the stars go out tonight."

Daybreak was soon upon the world but Eruanna did not sleep that night. Upon the sunrise she slipped from the bed sheets and dressed in a lightweight tunic and leggings. She strapped on her weaponry. Two daggers across her back, a long sword on one hip and a quiver full of arrows on the other. She stood gazing at her ever-changing eyes and pale skin, for once she would allow herself to see some beauty in her features but for all the liquid corn coloured hair and lithe and slender body, it could not always hide the ugliness of her nature within. The changeable and often sadistic nature that would do anything to get its way and often did. Unadulterated pride mixed with overconfidence and a reckless desire for recognition. A complete lack of care for anyone else. No beauty could hide such traits for ever and no amount of outward perfection could make another love them. It had been a long time since anyone had and she expected it would be a long time before another would. Calmly she braided her hair into a loose plait to keep it out of the way. She put together blankets and other essentials needed for the long journey. With one last look around the cosy room, she turned her back upon a trouble free life and set out into the unknown.


	5. Chapter 5

Eruanna looked round at the desert like landscape. Sighing irritably she glanced at Bill, he seemed the only one who would listen to her opinions, the others just thought she was, well not much use, other than a guide. The pony came over and nudged her ear, smiling she whispered to him.  
"Man anírach cerin an le, Bill?" the pony snorted, Eruanna watched Pippin climb up a tree, then fall out of it. "Ya línna ambanna tulinuva nan! What do you think Bill?" she asked the pony, smiling at the shock on the hobbits face. Bill snorted in agreement; nodding his shaggy head up and down, Eruanna chuckled.  
"He likes you, my lady" a voice said from behind her, Eruanna looked around to see Sam watching her with interest.  
"Sometimes I think he's the only one who will listen and not laugh at me." she replied, "besides he only wants food." The hobbit looked at her then sat beside her.  
"I don't think that's true, you just don't want to talk to any of us." Eruanna smiled.  
"If only it were that simple, but sadly it's not, you've seen how Boromir, Gimli, Gandalf and even Aragorn brush me off, I'm the only female, I know nothing of war in their eyes, yet really I know more than them. I have seen many wars and fought in many too, but they don't know that." Sam nodded.  
"You should prove that you do, I think you know what to expect, which is knowledge they don't have. Besides we don't all think your bad, the elf, Legolas, he keeps trying to get you involved in plans, he has faith in you. Frodo, Pippin and Merry they have faith in you too." Eruanna shook her head  
"But do you trust me, faith and trust can be very different" Sam looked thoughtful for a while, "Yes, you may not be particularly friendly or sociable but you know what you're talking about when you do decide to speak, I'll give you that." the halfling answered. Eruanna let a small smile play on her lips before hiding it once more.  
"Thank you Master Gamgee. I'm sorry if I scare you all, I don't mean to. I don't usually talk to people, I hide behind others and I'm not used to this." Sam shook his head.  
"You don't scare me, I confess you are not what many expect from a woman, if you know what I mean" The hobbit said blushing profusely.  
"I know what you mean and yet I don't. My kin are very different from others and we lead lives that are cut off from everyone else, we are not used to the civilities of others" Eruanna confessed. Sam smiled shyly. Frodo came over from Pippin and Merry, he looked awkwardly at Eruanna. "Sam, the others want you to cook dinner now." He said looking at his friend. Sam looked at Eruanna.

"Will you want anything to eat, my lady?" he asked. Eruanna smiled.  
"You needn't call me that Sam, and yes, that would be nice." Eruanna replied, Bill snorted and nudged her, Eruanna turned back to him and Sam went to cook dinner. "What are we going to do with you?" Eruanna giggled as she fed the pony his oats. She looked out across the land once more, the sun was descending on the horizon, it was going to be a dull day tomorrow. Eruanna shook her head, "maybe I should talk to Legolas tomorrow, I haven't spoken to him since Rivendell, I'm starting to miss elvish company again" she thought. Cursing herself for sounding needy, Eruanna got up and walked over to join the group.  
The fire crackled lazily as twilight seeped into night. Eruanna sat eating the morsels of soup that Sam had saved from Gimli and had given to her. Her stomach growled restlessly and it cried at her for more. She glanced around the small camp of sleeping bodies. The loud snores of a dwarf and the softer ones from the hobbits eased her mind that they were safe and contented. They had drawn lots on first watch earlier that day and Gimli had frantically tried to work his way out until she had volunteered in his stead. Now she sat watching the stars open up their sleepy lids to start their protective watch upon the world. Eruanna could a smell upon the chill breeze and it made her stomach grumble demandingly. She glanced once more over at the drowsy shapes and slunk off in the direction of the sweet scent. It was not long before she found the rabbit burrow and she sat waiting at its opening for the inhabitants to come out. The first of them crawled out, nose twitching wildly. Eruanna scooped it up fast before snapping its neck. She sank her fangs deep into its flesh and drank deeply. She laid its body on one side when she had finished and waited for more.  
After several hours of successful hunting, Eruanna mopped the blood from around her mouth on the cuff of her shirt and let the stinging of her retracting incisors die down before she collected up the furry bodies and set about skinning them. After they were skinned and gutted she diced them and put them in a pot and began to cook them. The youngest hobbit, Pippin, stirred at the smell and Eruanna held her breath. He did not wake. Once they were cooked she refilled her empty bowl and guzzled it down, glancing over at the dwarf every so often to make sure he was still in a deep sleep.

The fire was dying down and its embers glowed dimly. The darkness was now impenetrable and absolute, Eruanna had to strain her eyes to see into the darkness. There was a soft hiss from somewhere in the shadows. Her heart froze its steady beating and she lowered the bowl she held. Reaching down for her knife, she heard it again only closer.  
"I know you are there. Come out or I will kill you and be glad of it." Eruanna called out softly. The hiss went silent. Frowning she looked around into the lingering darkness. Eruanna looked at the fire and willed its flames to grow once more. The fire's welcoming and cheery smile turned blue and rose cold casting its long icy fingers across the landscape. She saw nothing. She heard nothing. She felt something. Uneasily she stood, picking up a small piece of meat she threw it out into the last tendrils of light. A shadow pounced on it before receding into the gloom. Eruanna relaxed. The company was in no danger for the shadow was but a trapped spirit, locked between worlds, neither living nor dead, it could not harm anyone but her and she did not fear her own death.  
Reassured that her mind was playing tricks to some degree she went over to Boromir and shook him awake. She slunk over to the cool fire and wrapped herself up in her bedding. Sleep was a long time arriving. She lay gazing up at the sky wondering if her friends who had not been banished did the same and prayed for her safe return. It was doubtful but it gave some comfort to the eternal banishment of many of her kind. None could not go back till one succeeded in a selfless act. At last sleep finally claimed her mind but there was no peace in her dreams. They were laced with the same cold darkness that surrounded the company and she could not escape.

Ya línna ambanna tulinuva nan- what goes up must come down!  
Man anírach cerin an le- what can I do for you?


	6. Chapter 6

There was crimson everywhere, jackdaws circled ever lower upon the deathly mass of bodies. The battle was won at cost. Eruanna tried to shoo the crows that were pecking at the dead away but more came. Like heavy black clouds they descended on the earth and scoffed the rotting flesh. Those who survived the battle watched in horror as their lifeless friends where turned to dust. The devourer of death had no more death had no more dead to eat. It turned upon the living. Eruanna screamed over and over as the birds tore her skin from her body.

"Eruanna! Eruanna! Wake up!" came a familiar but hurried voice. The carrion kept on coming ripping and shredding. She screamed louder begging for it to stop. "Eruanna. Wake up, you're dreaming." She clawed at her skin trying to tear it away so the birds would let her alone. Then a bright white light decided and the birds were gone. She opened her eyes slowly to see hazy figure standing over her.

"Is she alright?" said one.

"She will be. It was just a dream, she'll be fine" said the voice from her dream.

"What could have brought on such a fit?" asked a harsher more unpleasant voice.

"Hush dwarf, she's wakening" said that all too familiar voice. Finally her vision began to focus and she saw Legolas crouching over her, gathered round where the worried faces of the nine companions she had been traveling with. Eruanna groaned miserably and closed her eyes and prayed that it was a dream. After a moment more she sat up and rested her forehead on her knees, her stomach churned violently.

"Sam, fetch some water for her." Aragorn said softly.

"What did you see?" Gandalf asked after Sam had returned. "What is to happen?" Eruanna looked at the wizard.

"It is not what will happen but what has already happened." She answered croakily. They all gave her inquisitive looks but did not ask questions.

"You need those cuts seeing to before we go on." Aragorn stated. She looked down to see grazes across her arms and she presumed her face for it stung now with bitter ferocity.

"Did I…" she said, letting the question trail off.

"You started to tear at yourself when your dream came on, I don't think the cuts are deep but you should get them bathed" Legolas answered gently.

"It's fine, they are already healing" Eruanna sighed showing him the gashes that were turning into scabs.

Satisfied she was alright the company set about reading a fire and cooking breakfast. All except the elf who sat by her side watching her sip the water she had been given with a look of curiosity on his fair face.

"Shouldn't you be watching out for any evil beings?" she remarked. He smiled gently and shook his head.

"You don't have to sit by me. I'm fine now. I just had a bad dream." she told him.

"What about?" her friend asked.

"You always were far too inquisitive." Eruanna told him.

"And you always shut out those who wish to help." he answered.

"You really want to know the details of my mind, elf?" He nodded slowly and cautiously.

"There was a battle. It was many years ago now." Eruanna paused, collecting herself. Legolas smiled in encouragement.

"I was charged with the strategies and was told I would be leading one of our units into the lines of orcs…"

"That was an honorable charge." Legolas interrupted. Scowling at him she continued, "Honourable for an elf perhaps and my kind too, but I was young and ill experienced in such matters. I was offered help and refused it. All the honour in Middle Earth could not have stopped the slaughter of my soldiers. I lost more than any could count. I won the battle but lost my friends, my comrades. Those who survived would search amongst the bodies in vain to find their own friends. We watched as the carrion devoured each and every one with the hope we may find at least one extra life still living. We found none. It was all because I had been too foolish to heed advice from those who had gone before. My father sent me away for the shame of it and I was locked away for what seemed like an eternity. Their lives could have been saved if I had not been so reckless and proud. Theirs are the deaths that will not leave me." She told him. It seemed like hours before Legolas spoke and when he did "I'm sorry. I didn't know" where his only worlds. He did not look revolted or disgusted at her as she had expected only with understanding.

"You are not shocked by this?" she asked.

"No. We both know how reckless you can be and we both know that for your kind you are still barely more than a child. For such trust to be placed upon your shoulders was a fault of your King as well as your own for not thinking it through" Legolas answered. Eruanna nodded and then began to smile at him. "What" he asked.

"If I am barely more than a child in my people's eyes what does that make you in your own kinds eyes, you are, after all, only three years my senior." she replied wickedly.

"Are you calling me a child?" Legolas questioned indignantly.

"I was thinking more along the lines of toddler." she said thoughtfully. She watched the elf huff resentfully before allowing herself a smug smile.

"What's that?" Gimli suddenly said.

"Crebain from Dunland" Legolas shouted. "Hide!" Panic fanned out across their camp as they threw themselves under brushes to conceal themselves. From under a rock Eruanna felt the trapped fear build up inside her. The black cloud swooped and circled before fluttering away leaving a rain of feathers in its wake. She closed her eyes and covered her ears from the dreadful noise and attempted to ignore the black beasts not inches from where she lay. It was several minutes before she could force herself to move.

"Bloody crows" she muttered, wriggling out from the boulder.

The crows had set off another set of arguments. Eruanna moaned softly in exasperation, they would never get to Mordor at this rate; Eruanna got up and went to see what the matter was and as she drew closer she caught bits of the voices.

"We can't go that way; it takes us too near to Isengard." Aragorn said.

"Then what about the Redhorn Pass?" Gandalf's voice sounded tired.

"No, too dangerous, let alone cold." came Gimli's voice.

"We could pass through Moria" he continued.

"No, I will not follow or recommend going such a place." Legolas's voice said, softer than the others, Eruanna's stomach fluttered at the sound, before she remembered his rude remark about her age earlier.

"So, which are we going, if you can't decide, I shall ask one of you to decide for all of us." she interrupted. Everyone looked at her startled, then looked at Gandalf expectantly.

"We shall go over the mountain." he said

"Then we must collect wood, we will need a fire up there." said Boromir, trying to gain his pride back, after not being asked for his opinion. Eruanna grinned, happy that she was not only one being left out; Boromir glared at her and turned his back.

"Eruanna, would you care to walk with me." asked a voice, from behind her. The flutter was back in her stomach, she knew who it was. Turning round, she saw Legolas studying her face.

"Yes, I would, your company will do me some good." She replied and his face lit up with amusement. Turning back to her bag she felt her cheeks burning red; she stuffed her bedding into her bag and slung it on her back. Composing herself she stood and went back over to where the rest of the company stood. Legolas playfully held out his arm.

"I don't need you to escort me." she said defensively. He chuckled softly.

"I thought it customary of your people to escort fine ladies on their way." he retorted.

"No. I am almost certain that is an elvish custom." Eruanna answered taking his arm anyway. "And how you know that?" Legolas asked.

"If you really want to know, you elves can be a bunch of sexist bastards when it comes to etiquette." Eruanna whispered.

"Is that so? I shall inform my father of your opinion." Legolas teased.

"As much as I admire your father, elf, he is the most sexist creature I have ever met." Eruanna remarked.

"When you are both finished arguing about elven protocol, would you get a move on, it is already midday!" called Gandalf from the front of the party. Legolas looked at Eruanna. Eruanna looked at Legolas. Both let out a roar of laughter before running to catch up.

Thank you so much for reading! Please tell me what you think :)


	7. Chapter 7

Shivering, Eruanna watched the conflict in Boromir's face as he held the ring within touching distance.

"Boromir. Give Frodo the ring." Aragorn snapped impatiently. The man jumped startled before begrudgingly handing it over. Her feet were growing numb from the chilled ground and snow was falling in flurries around them. Eruanna could make out Gandalf furiously struggling through the snow. He was like a deranged madman determined to reach his goal. Several times other routes had been suggested and he had insisted that they continue in torturous conditions. She dragged her feet though what was now growing to be knee deep snow. Upon the air there was a voice, chanting and hollering with the wind.

"There is a fell voice on the air!" Legolas informed Gandalf. Gandalf gave him a worried look. A crack like the clapping of thunder was heard from above and rocks began to tumble down upon them.

"It's Saruman. He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Gandalf shouted.

"We must turn back." Aragorn replied. The demented look was back in the wizard's eye and he shook his head. Just then another wave of snow crashed down burying them beneath its weight. Eruanna squealed in shock as the freezing fists of cold hit her. Hurriedly she pushed her way up to the surface and gasped for air. The cold was freezing all the warmth from her lungs and she was finding it hard to breath.

"Gandalf! This will be the death of the hobbits!" Boromir yelled.

"Let us go through the mines of Moria." Gimli suggested. Her heart sank at the mention of those unfathomable depths, she knew the stories; the evil that lurked in the shadow and preyed on anything it came into contact with.

"Let the ring bearer decide." Gandalf said grimly. All eyes turned to Frodo, who was by now shivering and turning a light shade of blue from the perilous cold.

"We will go through the mines." He answered. Gandalf's words echoed her thoughts.

"So be it."

They trudged back along the route they had taken earlier the snow thinning out. Their spirits low with the defeat of their battle with the mountain. It was growing dark as they neared the gates and they stopped to rest for a good while. Eruanna sat alone watching the flame in her palm blink at her over and over. It brought her no real warmth but it quenched a small amount apprehension she felt writhing within her. At length she heard a rasping croak. Her heart turned cold. The flame in her palm flickered and died out. She stared at the small cawing bird not three feet in front of her. Black from head to toe with small beady eyes his rasping cry tore into her soul. She sat very still, holding her breath. She tried closing her eyes to see if it would leave. It croaked at her again and she felt the panic rising within her.

"Go on Shoo you dirty bird." Gimli shouted. "There is no food for you here." The bird cocked its head and glared at the dwarf before spreading its wings to join its comrades in the nearby tree. Eruanna watched in frozen suspension as the crows swooped up into the sky cackling and croaking to one another as they drifted off on the wind.

"My lady… Are you alright? You're as pale as a ghost." Boromir asked kindly.

"I'm fine. I'm just tired and cold that is all." she lied, nervously watching the black shapes circling the moon.

Finally the black cliffs that showed off Moria's might loomed into view. Gimli gazed at them with wondrous awe and the others stopped to take in its sheer size._"When I younger I would have been in awe too"_ Eruanna thought disdainfully. They staggered over loose rocks towards what Gimli claimed was the entrance to the tunnels. Warily Eruanna cast her eyes over the still lake whose waters had not a ripple upon them. It was a long time before they found the gates. Moonlight lit it up sending a sliver of light across the still water. Gandalf gave a triumphant smile and began to try and open the door. Eruanna sat under one of the dead trees gazing out across the water. It was so still and quiet. She thought it odd for that of a great city; it could almost be too quiet.

"We are disturbing the peace. We should move on." Eruanna said coolly. Gimli snorted.

"Does silence unnerve you Eruanna?" Boromir asked.

"I fear nothing. This quiet is not natural; it has evil on its lips." Eruanna snapped. The man raised his eyebrow but said nothing more.

"It's a riddle." Frodo said. "Speak 'friend' and enter… what's the elvish word for friend?"

"Mellon." Gandalf answered. The door swung open. Eruanna paid no attention to the door. She stood stepping over to the water's edge. Ripples spread across it, beneath the cold dark water a shape swam. She turned silently and slipped into the mine after the others mentioning nothing of the shadow in the slimy silk water. The sound inside the mine was the same as it had been outside; utter nothing.

"We shouldn't be here." She whispered.

"Nonsense. Soon you shall enjoy the comfort of roaring fires and red meat off the bone." Gimli chided.

"Why then, do I see no fires in this mine?" Eruanna asked as Gandalf lit his staff.

"This is no mine. It is a tomb." Boromir exclaimed as the light finally cast out across the entrance. Gimli howled in pain.

"Goblins!" Legolas exclaimed pulling an arrow out of the nearest corpse. Automatically Eruanna's hand flew to the hilt of her sword ready to fight.

"Get out! We should never have come here!" Boromir cried. Eruanna turned to see a tentacle creeping out from the water. A cruel thought came into her head. _"If it gets Frodo. This quest will be over. The ring lost. My oath fulfilled."_ She turned a blind eye to the snake crawling up behind the halfling. Frodo screamed and fell. The snakelike creature dragging Frodo back to the dark depths where it belonged.

"ARAGORN" the hobbits screamed. The others sprang into action. She listened to the halfling's howls of terror, torn between her own wishes and the trust placed in her.

"Eruanna! What are you doing? Help us!" Boromir screamed.

"Damn it!" she cursed, drawing her sword and charging to help.

Slimy limbs writhed around in the water. _"Distract it"_ Eruanna thought. _"How?"_ She contemplated as she drove her blade into it's nearest arm. If it was what she thought it was it wouldn't be too hard. She ran back to the shore and drew out her dagger slashing her forearm with it she let her blood pool into the water. The monster dropped the hobbit and swung itself in her direction.

"Get inside!" She yelled.

"Inside. Into the mine!" Gandalf called. She ducked and dodged and leapt the numerous ligaments of the creature.

"Eruanna!" Legolas yelled, shooting at the beast once again. She reached the entrance and was frantically pulled inside by one of the party. Her blood rushed with adrenaline and she turned to finish the creature. Its tentacles crept up the sides of the door and the ceiling caved in. She dived out of the way. Pain slashing up her leg. There was utter darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

Eruanna watched shivering as the doors caved in, the walls of the mine thundered with the sound. Her leg felt numb, a small boulder had fallen momentarily on it before she had shoved it off. She shifted her weight onto it, and let out a squeal of pain, as a flash of agony flared through it. She fell to the floor and stared down at her leg, blood the colour of dark crimson, seeped through her breeches. Fascinated, Eruanna stared as it began to pool around her ankle, and trickle under the nearest rocks.

"You okay? " Legolas asked coming over from the top of the stairs where the others where resting. "n-no, I mean yes; I think" Eruanna stammered still watching the blood, running through the cracks in the now blocked door. Legolas watched it too, and then said gently, "No, you're not, you're bleeding." He called to Aragorn to come and help him. "Please, I don't want his help" she hissed at Legolas. "He's a human" Legolas raised an eyebrow; one thing that was not well-known of the naira was their disliking of humans, even if they knew them well. "You will have to put up with it" Sighed Legolas, "Couldn't you do it, if Aragorn told you what to do? " She asked. "It would be a good idea don't want to get bitten by her" Aragorn said good-naturedly, Legolas sighed and agreed.

Gently her pulled off her boot and rolled up the leg of her now blood soaked breeches. Eruanna winced, at the sight of it; it ran all the way up her shin and was deep enough to see some of her bone. Aragorn passed Legolas some gauze, and told him to press it down firmly; the elf nodded and pressed it over the wound as gently as he could. Eruanna sucked in her breath, to stop herself from screaming; Legolas then wound a bandage over the gauze, and tied it tight. A whimper escaped her lips, the elf looked at her apologetically, before helping her to her feet taking her weight on his shoulders, he helped her to where the others where. Eruanna looked at her arm, the gash she'd made to distract the watcher was already healed; her leg on the other hand would take more time. "That was brave of you, distracting that thing" Boromir said, with a hint of respect in his voice. "It's what I was trained to do ever since I was little, before I knew how to walk I knew how to fight, I knew I had a duty to save others, it's not brave, it's what I've been taught besides, bravery is often a softer word for stupidity" Eruanna replied, when her father had been alive, he'd decided she would have a great destiny. He'd forced her to become a soldier when she had wanted to learn healing arts. He had then been murdered and left her alone with her bereaved siblings and a kingdom to manage. Thinking about it since the events she knew that she had never really belonged in her family, she didn't belong anywhere and she did not miss her father.

Legolas sat beside her, checking her temperature and pulse. "You're cold, here" He concluded, stretched his arm out. Eruanna huddled up to him not caring what the others thought; he was her closest friend and was concerned for her. There was no reason to pretend otherwise. She saw Boromir glaring at Legolas, she didn't care what he thought, Legolas was worried about her, this might only happen once. "I love him" she thought to herself. The sudden thought hit her like a ton of bricks, her muscles tensed, and she looked at Legolas in the hope he hadn't noticed. He was busy talking to Gandalf and Aragorn. Eruanna relaxed and looked at the hobbits who had fallen asleep on the cold stone floor. Gimli was not paying attention to anyone; he had shrunk into himself. Seeing what had happened to his kin would hurt; Eruanna understood his loss but she couldn't understand his grief, he couldn't have been able to help. "We best be moving, it's a four-day journey to the other side" Gandalf said, and stood. Legolas got up and helped her to her feet, once again taking her weight, the hobbits stirred and they all set off down the long, dark, rancid corridors.

Walking became easier as her leg healed and Eruanna began reluctantly to loosen her grip on Legolas. Gandalf was giving a lecture on mines, and the hobbits seemed content listening the other members of the fellowship seemed to want to remain quiet so Eruanna let go of Legolas, and walked ahead, her leg ached a bit but the pain had gone. "Lucky, I heal fast" She thought. From what she knew of the mines the main resource was mithril. Mithril in Termoree had the value of a loaf of bread for one barrel of it. When her family moved across the sea in their banishment, they had brought tonnes of it with them. It had made them richer than any dwarf could have dreamed. "Yet my people have no need for wealth" Eruanna thought. Stopped at the top of a staircase and waited for the others to catch up. When they finally did Gandalf sat down complaining that he did not remember the right passage. "How's your leg" Legolas whispered. "Fine. I can walk on it well enough though it is still a little sore" Eruanna confessed. "If it gets any worse I'm happy to help" The elf replied playfully. "You may regret that elf" Eruanna said grinning. "Will I? I quite enjoy seeing you need someone's help." He answered. She glowered at him before settling herself on one of the steps watching a small scrawny creature crawling around in the darkness below. She smiled in amusement; the creature was worn and ragged. Its ribs and spine protruded in unhealthy angles. It rasped for breath as it circled them below. Its plight was laughable.

"Why didn't you help straight away?" Boromir asked. "Unlike you I know what that beast was. Its kind preyed upon mine when I lived in Termoree. I value my life above all other things" Eruanna answered bluntly. "You're hiding something." Boromir said coldly. "As is everyone here; we all have our secrets Boromir. If we didn't keep them to ourselves then our enemy's would easily win us over" Eruanna retorted angrily. "My father is a good man. He told me the same thing." Boromir said slowly. "All men are good in their children's eyes. I would know, my father was a tyrant and no matter what he did I would always justify it for him." Eruanna told him. "What changed your mind" Boromir asked. "I saw the damage he was doing to others and I couldn't be a part of it." She muttered. The man frowned "What happened to him?" Eruanna glanced at him. "He was murdered." She responded automatically. "By whom?" Boromir interjected. "If I told you that I would have to kill you" Eruanna said mechanically. Their conversation was cut off by Gandalf, "It's that way" he told them nodding towards the middle passage.

It had been three days from they had entered the mines and now they were all sprawled out across exhausted from the hard walking. Eruanna re-bandaged her leg. There was a deep scar down the front; angry and red but healed enough to be of use once more. They hadn't risked lighting a fire so there was no chance of betting warm. She wrapped a blanket tightly round her form and studied the small room they were occupying. There was nothing of great interest. A few stone coulombs held up the ceiling though it looked as if they were ready to give up and collapse. There were a sew carvings on the wall opposite but most of the wall was chipped and worn away. There was a very ornate tapestry, torn around the edges but still in good condition considering the rest of the room. She went over and studied it with interest. It depicted a great dwarf king upon his throne under a mountain then a giant dragon asleep upon a mound of gold and lastly a great ballet and the dragon slain. She traces the treads of the slain dragon before letting her eyes rest on the king's face. "Erebor. Once the greatest dwarf kingdom ever known" Legolas said coming up to look at it. "What happened?" she asked. "You don't know he said surprised. "It must have slipped my notice" she said dryly. "It was attacked by a dragon named Smaug, he destroyed the town of dale and took Erebor for his own" Legolas told her. "Go on. I don't believe I have heard this tale" Eruanna replied. He smiled at her; "The king's grandson decided to reclaim their homeland. For that they needed the arkenstone which could unite the dwarf leaders. Then they would march on the mountain." Legolas said gravely. "I suppose it didn't exactly go to plan" Eruanna replied. "No one plans to die in battle" Legolas answered. "Ah… I see, so they reclaimed their homeland but lost their king … how ironic" she chuckled. The elf raised an eyebrow, "Many died" he pointed out. "Yes, and the one who wanted the throne died trying to defend it though it was already lost, I cannot deny I find it amusing though melancholy" She thought out loud. "You wouldn't say that if that was the purpose of your battle" Legolas reminded her. "It wasn't my battle" she replied bluntly. The elf sighed and turned away leaving her to study the tapestry.

She watched the elf for some time. He sat very quietly fiddling with an arrow. It was then she allowed herself to remember their first meeting: _Sighing Eruanna brushed away a stray strand of hair from her face. The meeting of her father and the elven king seemed to go on and on._ _At seven it was hard to recognise the importance of such a treaty but she was trying with all her might to listen to what her father was saying and learn the affairs of her papa's kingdom. It was soon too boring for her to stay still and she snuck away to play by herself. She ran a fair distance into the wood before she stopped by a pool to watch the fascinating fish swim among the rocks, she buried herself in a small amount of reeds so as not to be found and settled down to watch. It was a rarity indeed to be let out of her father's sight after her mother's death but at such a young age she didn't fully understand the reasons. She heard a splash in the water and all the fish vanished. Looking up she saw a tiny elf sitting at the edge of a pool, throwing rocks into the water_. _She wriggled out from the reeds and glowered irritably at him. He poked his lounge out and leaped over the small rocks to where she sat. "You're in my clearing. No one is allowed in my clearing, you'll have to leave" He said sitting crossed legs in front of her. "You'll have to make me" she replied letting her eyes meet his. The two sat unblinking staring one another down. He blinked before she did. "I win! She squealed delightedly; "You'll have to leave! The little elf didn't move but snapped back, "My ada is the king and won't let you do this." Eruanna thought for a moment before shooting an equally angry answer back, "Well my papa's a king too and he could defeat yours ten times over." Both children stood up glaring at one another furiously. Then the elf giggled and sat down. "I'm Legolas, who are you?" he asked. "Eruanna" she sniffed defiantly "and this is still my spot". "We could share" the elfling said thoughtfully. Both giggled at the ridiculous idea. "Nana wants me to meet the princess. I'm scared she won't like me" he said blushing. "She does. Very much" she laughed smiling at him, the little elfling beamed at her as if he had been given a great present, "I like you too" Legolas whispered. _

Eruanna watched the elf now; he looked so careworn in contrast to the beaming carefree child she had once known. She sat beside him, "Do you remember the first time we met?" she asked after a few moments. "I can't forget it… it's still my clearing" he replied, the mischievous glimmer lit up in his eyes. "Is not" Eruanna muttered. He looked at her, "I believe that you left the forest so it now belongs to me" he argued. "I did not want to leave" She sighed. "Then why did you?" Legolas questioned. "My father saw our friendship as inappropriate for a future queen, he thought I was too attached to you" she informed him. "And where you attached to me?" the elf asked curiously. "Maybe a little" Eruanna confessed. She saw a small smile flicker across his face. "You should smile more, it suits you" she pointed out. "As should you. I have not seen you smile for a long time" he retorted. "I've missed your company Eruanna, of all the people I was warned to be careful of, you where the one I couldn't stay away from, why is that?" he asked. "You crave adventure. You know it is what I am capable of delivering" Eruanna answered. He looked thoughtful for a long while before wandering over to wake the next lookout. His behaviour was strange he had not done as she had expected and started another argument with her. He had left her answer as a last one.

The light from Gandalf staff did very little to honour the real glory of the dwarven city. Great pillars spread as far as the eye could see, rising up with a brilliant strength in wonder to its creators. The company halted in admiration and gazed upon the wondrous scene. Gandalf, began to tell the tale of the city when with a cry, Gimli ran off, into a side room. Eruanna glanced at the Elf beside her, he shook his head in disbelief and they followed. Inside the room, corpses scattered the floor, a tomb was centred in the middle of the room. Gimli sank to his knees and wept, "Here lies Balin son of Fundin, he is dead then." said Gandalf picking up a book off the floor he began to read"  
"They have taken the bridge and the second hall.  
We have barred the gates but cannot hold them for long.  
The ground shakes.  
Drums… drums in the deep.  
We cannot get out.  
A Shadow moves in the dark.  
We cannot get out.  
They are coming."  
Legolas looked worried. Then a sound that sent ice running up her back, "drums in the deep" Eruanna hissed, then the others heard it, Drawing her sword, Eruanna faced the door, and waited, while the others hurried round her she stayed still waiting, just waiting.

Eruanna's mind went blank, She knew only her enemy, the sounds of the others faded, to a dim echo. The orcs and goblins beat at the doors. Eruanna whirled her sword round it anticipation. The doors burst open and she crouched, waiting as the first of the orcs crashed through, her muscles tensed ready to spring. One large orc saw her, and lunged, "big mistake" Eruanna muttered, and rolled beneath its legs, then sprang onto its back and slit its throat, blood sprayed form its neck. Smiling with satisfaction she back flipped off the now dying creature, landing successfully onto another one, she thrust her weapon through its skull. It fell to the floor; Eruanna sprang up and landed in a crouch on its back. The walls crashed down and the smell of rotting fish filled the room. "Typical, they brought a troll" Eruanna thought before dashing over to where it crashed around and grabbed its foot, hugging it like a child does, when it doesn't want its parent to leave. Eruanna put her sword in its sheath, "I can't believe I'm going to do this "she thought. She felt predictable the tingle of her canine teeth and bit deep into the troll's leg. The toll howled in agony. Eruanna laughed, and let go, spitting the pungent and bitter blood out. The toll staggered round, groaning in pain. It's seemed it was allergic to venom now circling its bloodstream. She turned around just ad an orc thrust its foot into her shin. She screamed in pain and fell to the floor. The orc dragged her to her feet and she felt a cold blade around her neck. "Stop if you want the girl to live" the cold voice of her captor said, a hand pulled out her sword and cast it aside, she collected herself, breathed deeply to control the surging pain. Lifting up her leg injured leg, Eruanna reached into her boot and pulled out her hunting knife, sliding it behind her, she carefully positioned it then pushed and the howl of pain from the orc defended her for a moment. She turned to see the orc pull the dagger from his groin. Eruanna lunged for her sword, sliding agonisingly across the rubble, as an arrow whistled past into the orc who was now howling and in an enraged frenzy; looking at Legolas she nodded her thanks. Hell raged in the chamber. With a sickening jolt, she stood up shakily and gazed around at the scene emerging before realising that there was no escape. Hiding behind a pillar Eruanna saw a weak point in the wall; she staggered back to the troll and slashed at its body. The troll growled and sent her sprawling into the wall. The wall collapsed. Groaning she rolled onto her back and lay there, before re-joining the battle.

Weapons clashed against weapons, Eruanna found herself trapped in a corner; she bent double with the pain of hitting the wall. Hissing like a feral cat at the oncoming goblins; bearing her teeth menacingly she gave in to her animalistic instincts. She heard shouts all around and saw the enormous built of the troll fall. Gritting her teeth she cut off the nearest head lurching violently at another. Aid came to her quickly. Though it seemed too late for Frodo…

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Thank you so much for reading! Please feel free to leave a review, I welcome all opinions :)


	9. Chapter 9

Frodo lay face down in the rubble, a spear under him. Eruanna watched as the others went over to him, believing he was dead, there was a faint sound, coming from Frodo, as soft groan of pain. Eruanna knew in that second, he was alive, no corpse ever made such a sound. Aragorn scooped him into his arms. They all believed that he was dead. She started to say something, but Legolas silenced her, shaking his head. Just then the hobbit spluttered and woke. Eruanna smiled. Aragorn put the hobbit on the floor utter relief plastered his face. "This way" Gandalf bellowed from the broken wall. They scrambled towards the opening like rats fleeing from an impending flood, Eruanna glanced over her shoulder; a sickening lurch inside of her as she saw the hordes of goblins behind them, she sped up,. "Maybe I should do what all my friends do in this situation: Abandon those who slow you down upon your escape" Eruanna thought, but then removed the foul idea from her mind, it was a stupid idea adopted for self-preservation which she had never been skilled at, if anything she was the one to slow them down, her leg was failing from the orc kick, her ribs burned from the bruises she had received earlier and she was having difficulty breathing. Lost in thought she didn't realise that the others had stopped, and crashed into them. They were surrounded. Down the grand stone pillars scuttled their foes. They were totally outnumbered and surrounded.

The others had their weapons drawn and ready, but Eruanna felt the chill down her back and she turned to see light rippling over the walls at the far end of the hall. A sound like thunder echoed round the hall, the orcs fled. "What is this new devilry" Boromir hissed. Before Gandalf said the words, Eruanna knew. It was hell on legs. It was a Balrog. Eruanna knew this because of Glorfindel. He had shown her books with them in when she was growing up in Rivendell, she'd seen one too, but in a different time and a different world with different people surrounding her… and dying for her. She shuttered in revulsion at the thought of her lost innocence. The day a balrog had attacked Xura would be remembered by the few who had survived but never spoken of.

She followed the company hurriedly, down and down she ran, stair after stair. Eruanna reached a gap in the stairs and stopped. Looking down she saw utter blackness. She could jump the gap easily, But it was that intensity of black, the unknown bottom, that unnerved her… if she lost her footing she would be left to lay upon some cold floor for all eternity unable to move and unable to die. Legolas reached her and whispered in her ear "I'll catch you" before jumping nimbly across. She jumped and landed on the other side, her left foot slipping on the edge, Legolas grabbed her, and pulled her into his arms. "He smells of wood blossom and pine cones" her heart cheered delightedly, "Now is not the time" her mind screamed back. Legolas let go and helped Gandalf across. The others soon followed. They ran on frantically before reaching the bridge. She let the others cross well aware of their fragile bodily state. "Go in front of me, Eruanna, I will slow you down" Gandalf said. Eruanna frowned, he was planning something, she refused to move, planted her feet squarely on the ground. Then the shape sprang up out of the blackness, her blood ran cold and she backed away across the bridged, calling to the wizard to follow. Gandalf turned to see it. The balrog placed its mighty boot on the stone.

"You cannot pass" Gandalf cried banging his staff on the bridge. Eruanna watched in amazement as the seemingly frail wizard, bellowed at the beast. Her eyes caught sight of the cracks forming across the bridge. She opened her mouth to call out and warn him but no sound came out. The bridge split in two. The balrog fell into the thick back of the gorge. Gandalf turned to walk away, relief falling upon his brow. Then a fiery whip curled up around Gandalf's leg. Time began to slow down, she watched in horror as the beast dragged him down into the depths. She heard herself scream a word vaguely familiar and white light flashed momentary above them. Eruanna's mind all she knew faded in that moment, she did not want to believe what she had seen. Yet it had happened. Frodo was yelling, the others running up the stairs to the door .Legolas called to her. Her mind snapped back into the present, letting go of her disbelief she ran up the staircase, ignoring the pain in her chest. Once outside, still shaking, she let the elf hold her into his chest. She didn't feel the grief that should have been in heart in its place a violent ire was stirring. She hugged Legolas tightly, hoping to comfort him as well as control the seething rage within, knowing that if she did not she was likely to do something rash. She never knew the wizard well and regret filled her heart for she had wanted to learn from his wisdom. "Legolas, get them up" Aragorn said gently. "Give them a moment for pity's sake" cried Boromir, Aragorn shook his head, "By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlórien. Come, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, and Eruanna; help them up." Legolas let go of her reluctantly, and helped Merry and Pippin to their feet. Eruanna did not move. Aragorn began to move on the others followed. Legolas held out his hand to her and she took it, seeking the comfort of another.

After an hour they stopped to rest. Eruanna went alone to collect firewood. Once out of sight of the others she slumped down in despair. She recalled her five year old self standing in Xura's market square as it burned, a great beast looming above the town spire. The white stone bash blacked and she could hear screaming all around. Yet she stood in wild fascination at the beast called from the shadows. It was then her eldest sister had come running, clad in armour she had scooped her up into her arms and wordlessly deposited her outside the down walls before going back to face the monster. She had waited for days upon the gate for any news of her sibling but none could be given. The beast had been slain and so many had died trying. There was no word of the firstborn daughter of Amreral ever again. As far as anyone was concerned she had been slain by the monster sent to their lands as a punishment for betraying their masters. Eruanna dragged her mind back to the present and went about gathering wood for the fire. Frodo had miraculously escaped with a minor bruise. Sam has a small graze that Aragorn had decided needing treating but surprisingly no one was seriously hurt save their lost party member. She heard the snapping of twigs behind her and drew her sword whirling round. She held the blade to Boromir's throat. "You should know better than to sneak up on a naira, didn't your nursemaid tell you stories of what happens if you do" Eruanna snapped. "I'm sorry if I startled you. I was told such stories though you have neither enchanted me or sucked out my soul so I never know if I should believe them to be true or not" the man answered holding up his hands submissively. "You should be careful Boromir. Not all of my kind is as controlled or as tolerant as I am" she informed him lowering the sword. He let out a soft relived sigh and smiled gratefully at her. "I would bump into another of your kin if you are one of the better ones" he mused starkly. "If you had met another of my kind you would have been torn to pieces." Eruanna remarked curtly. He nodded and offered him an arm to pile firewood into. "You shouldn't wander away from the group, especially when we are in such peril" he commented. "Who are you to say what I can and cannot do? If I wish to be alone and away from the ignorance of all things male I will take myself somewhere I can think" Eruanna responded spitefully. "The man looked offended but said nothing more on the matter. Once they had enough wood the wandered back to the small dishevelled group.

Rain began to trickle down upon the deflated party. No one spoke for grief consumed them. Eruanna could see the golden leaves up ahead and the dread of returning to the forest she had fled began to build up within her. Her mind and heart where in total agreement "Run…RUN!" they screamed but her legs did not listen but staggered faithlessly on. Under the leaves the rain eased to a soft drip and then stopped altogether. The rest of the company's sprits seemed lifted a little at the prospect of a long rest.

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The further they went into Loren, the more uncomfortable Eruanna became she glanced around her, expecting to see elves wit ropes ready to tie her up and chain her to the forest so she could never leave again but no such thing happened. She knew this place well, before Rivendell it had been Loren. The light filtered through the leaves of the trees, Eruanna heard the soft distinctive breathing of Elves, more than one... more than ten at least.  
The sound of bow stings being tightened. "The dwarf breaths so loud, we could have shot him in the dark" said a voice. Eruanna felt a sad smile form on her lips, how well she knew that voice. "Haldir" she said brightly, turning to see her old friend. The elves bows lowered when they saw her but gave her nervous glances. "Well, well, well, of all the people I thought I'd never see again, Eruanna" Haldir said, in his smooth voice. "Let us pass, Haldir" Eruanna said, and added "or I'll make you." Haldir smiled, his small blush did not pass unnoticed by her keen eye however. "As her highness wishes, follow me" the other Elves lowered their bows, and followed Haldir. "Come on" Eruanna said reluctantly. "I've just bought us a place for the night." Gimli looked horrified, "What?! You mean we are to sleep in this Elf infested forest. I won't do it. It's bad enough with one Elf let alone and entire city of them" he said. Eruanna turned round, her eyes burning with icy fire "You know what dwarf? This is the last place I want to be too, last time I was here, I made more enemy's than friends, I'm putting myself and Haldir at risk doing this, so you can bloody well put up with it and if I hear another word I will gladly disembowel you." She snarled. The dwarf stepped back, glaring at Legolas, who was trying not to laugh. The hobbits looked up at her with scared looks in their eyes. Eruanna glanced at them apologetically before running after the group of Elves who were disappearing into the forest.

Once they had reached the encampment, the others flopped exhausted on the ground. Eruanna silently left. Walking through the forest the oppressive feeling of being watched lifted off her shoulders but only a little. Once she reached a clearing, far enough away not to be disturbed, she sat down by the stream. "Hastulian" Eruanna whispered, and breathed a cold breath across the surface of the water, a picture appeared and she saw her friends, dancing on a hill, laughing gaily. Centaurs milled round the dancers smiling and talking. The fey glittered in the trees around the hill. Smiling grimly with satisfaction that her homelands where at peace she waved away the image in the water. "They are safe and far away in the lands they should be in" Eruanna said to herself. "But you aren't" came a soft voice. Eruanna jumped before looking over her shoulder to where she saw Haldir resting against a tree, "I see you got your powers" he stated, but it sounded more like a question. Not meeting his eyes, Eruanna replied, "Yes, that happened a long time ago". There was a long and awkward silence between them. She looked away from the scrutiny of his gaze. "Why did you leave me, was I not good enough for you?" Haldir asked sternly yet there was no hate in his voice. "I did not love you, I could not tell you, I was afraid it hurt you too much" she whispered, shame washing over her. Haldir walked over to her and sat down. "You left, because you didn't love me, or you couldn't?" he asked tipping his head back so he could look at the stars. "Both" Eruanna said bluntly "I couldn't and wouldn't, I'm sorry, I was never yours to begin with." Haldir looked at her, pain filling his pure eyes. "You're lying, your eyes change colour when you lie" he said defensively. "I was in love with someone else and still am" Eruanna said, trying to stop the questions. Haldir snorted, his silver grey eyes sparkled. "Fine. Who is he?" he said angrily. "I've told you the truth; stop fishing for dreams Haldir, you can't catch them" Eruanna spat. "At least allow me the liberty of a name?" he answered calmly "I can't give you his name." she said shaking her head, "what happened to me" she asked "I never used to hate everyone; I used to believe in friends, but know I don't feel a thing" she sighed. Haldir smiled "you grew up, Eruanna, you saw things that hurt, that's what happened." Eruanna shook her head "I grew up before I was born, I never had a childhood" She whispered. "maybe that's why you struggle with trusting others but your past makes you who you are, few can could endure what you have without being affected, come forget about this, tomorrow is a new day and you are needed to speak with my lord and lady" he said, "I was affected tough. I am afraid to sleep for the nightmares that take me. I cannot look my friends in the eyes without remembering the screams that I suffered for them" Eruanna mumbled. "There is no shame in sacrifice" Haldir chided. "That's not what I was taught" she sighed going back at the stream. "I know little of your past Eruanna but I know what I see." He said thoughtfully. "And what do you see" she asked. "I see someone who has seen war and death, who has suffered torment and sorrow. I see someone who is haunted by the past and is drowning in her memories. I see someone who loathes themselves but hides it by pretending she doesn't need anyone to the pint of her believing it along with everyone else, when all she really wants is someone to tell her that she is not alright and she is not alone. Now tell me Eruanna. Are you really okay?" Haldir stated, studying her intensely with the grey spirals of his eyes.

She did not respond for a long time. "I saw children ripped apart and you ask me if im okay?" Eruanna said slowly. The elf nodded. "I'm fine" she answered. "Then why do you shut out those who desire to help?" he questioned. "I will only get them killed if I let them aid me" she whispered, her cheeks flushing with shame. Haldir walked over to her and settled beside her. "You think that because of one mistake, anyone who trusts you will end up in the same state as you and those who committed an act of betrayal?" he asked. "No. Anyone who trusted me always ends up dead. I cannot let anyone get that close, not anymore." She responded. "Then why are you telling me this?" Haldir queried. "Because I want to be close to others to know what it is to have another's faith and not to be shunned by everyone" she responded. Haldir was silent. She studied the blank expression for a long time before standing. "Don't shut out those who love you Eruanna. It is a lonely world when you have no one to care for you" Haldir said as she retreated back through the trees.

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Translations:

Hastulian- (Naira) Show me.

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Thank you for reading! Please leave a review :)


	10. Chapter 10

After a peaceful night in Calas Galadhon, the fellowship went off in groups or on their own to explore the golden wood. Eruanna wandered alone enjoying her own company and the relief of not being scrutinised that solitude brought with it. Legolas had taken Gimli for a small tour of the nearby sights. The hobbits had also gone to find out more about the wood. Aragorn and Boromir had stayed behind to decide on routes to take. After a few hours she became bored and she set off for the direction of the March warden's camp. She sang to pass the time, the forest did not interest her and she had lived here for a time and had been shown every tree and leaf, every stream and spring. The forest brought back memories of when war was exiting and new to her. The sound of laughter drifted upon the warm breeze. It was almost childlike in its carless delight. She rounded the corner and the laughter was accompanied by splashing. "I thought elves had good balance?" She called out, grinning at the sodden Haldir who now sat in a swirling stream. Above him a broken branch swung limply, the other elves smiled at her nervously and looked at Haldir for what seemed like reassurance. "I don't bite" Eruanna giggled, flicking her wrist and sending a small wave of cold water over her friend who was struggling to stand. He splashed her back, grinning. "I believe Eruanna has challenged us to a fight" He declared. The other elves smirked. Eruanna nodded at the water and it sloshed over the nearest elf who glowered at her before picking up the nearest bucket and pouring it over her. "I thought you elves where supposed to be mature" She giggled, splashing another of the guards who had seemed inclined to join in. "Are you saying such combat is not appropriate for our age?" Haldir asked, splashing her playfully. She grinned at him. "What do you think?" she answered before commanding another wave of water to douse the entire group.

**Gimli**  
The woods where a marvel to behold; even for one who loved the ground and all its treasures. Legolas had been telling him the full story of Nimrodel when he had stopped hid sentence, Gimli was glad of it, he had not had time to comprehend all that had been said and this pause allowed his thoughts to catch up. His companion had seemed to become distracted the further he had got through his story and had stopped abruptly. He waited patiently for some minutes for the story to be continued but Legolas had seemed to have forgotten he was there. "What happened, did they ever hear news of her after that?" He prompted gruffly. Legolas looked at him and smiled faintly before shaking his head. The dwarf thought that he would elaborate but he remained silent. Curiously the dwarf looked up to see a curious expression on his face. It was a mixture of wistfulness and confusion but he could not understand why and it made him uneasy. "Is something troubling you elf?" he asked after a few more minutes' science. Legolas did not answer for a long time; "Do you have a sweetheart Gimli?" he inquired at length. Stunned the dwarf stopped and stared at him baffled at his forwardness. The elf stopped and looked at him, "Well?" he persisted. "Aye, I do" the dwarf mumbled embarrassed. The wistful look was back in the elf's eyes, "Does she love you?" he mused out loud. "Yes… Is something wrong Legolas?" Gimli said warily. The elf looked mournfully down at the floor and said nothing. "What about you? Do you have someone you care about waiting for you in your homelands?" Gimli asked carefully. He saw the anguish then in his eyes and regretted asking. "No. My heart belongs to one who is not from my lands" he answered softly. "And her heart belongs to you?" Gimli enquired. "Her heart belongs to no one but herself" Legolas replied bitterly. "Ah, then it is your heart that troubles you" Gimli said kindly. The elf smiled sadly and nodded.

It was the sound of laughter reached them and curiosity drove them both to investigate. "So, who is this young maid you seem so pre-occupied with" Gimli asked inquisitively. Legolas once again didn't answer. He stood watching the scene playing out in front of him. His expression was one of pure jealousy. He watched as a group of guards threw water over one another. Up in the tree Eruanna sat grinning as several of the younger elves attempted unsuccessfully to coax her back down. A tall blonde elf who Gimli presumed as Haldir threw water over her; she attempted to dodge it but slipped and fell out of the tree. Wriggling as Haldir held her down to stop her exacting revenge "Ah" Gimli thought pulling on Legolas's arm to try and drag him away. Reluctant as he was the elf complied following him though the tree's, glancing forlornly over his shoulder in the direction of the water fight. "Now you see why I am troubled" Legolas sighed after they could no longer hear the shouts coming from the stream. "You do not think she loves you?" Gimli asked a little too harshly as it brought back the ache in the elf's eyes. "What am I to her? She has the choice of so many. She is a princess…" he started. "You are a prince" Gimli interrupted. Legolas smiled grimly, "Yet we are not of the same race and my father has deemed her kin to be savages, even if she could love me it would never be allowed" he argued. "Yet you are suffering because of it" Gimli countered. "It matters not. My father would have me marry a noble elf and would not hear of anything else. It is only a matter of time before he tires of my stubbornness to marry" the elf murmured. "Tell her. Even if she does not return your feelings you both have a good friendship that is clear enough, she will understand" Gimli advised warmly. "You will not speak of this to anyone else will you?" Legolas asked. "No. I promise this will remain between us" Gimli promised hoping he would honour it till his last breath.

**Eruanna**  
The sun was setting over Loren, the first stars here faintly glimmering in the sky, birds where flying home to tuck their heads beneath their downy wings. Beneath the trees of the golden wood it was a different story, Elves danced beneath candles strung to branches of the trees, the light reflecting of the leaves, bathing the city of Calas Galadhon in light.

Eruanna sat beneath a tree, fuming. Not only had she been forced to the dance but being female, she had to wear a dress. If there was a more oppressive thing she had not yet discovered it. "Ah Eruanna… You look delightful" Haldir teased. "One more word and I will see that you shall not speak again" Eruanna hissed. "You always did have a way with words" he retorted smugly before holding out his hand and helping her to her feet. "I'm not dancing." Eruanna protested as he dragged her over to the other couples. "Yes you are" Haldir answered. "I don't know how" she snapped. "Then it's high time you learned" Haldir told her. Shaking her head, Eruanna allowed herself to be lead around the small area designated for dancing. She glanced over to see Legolas dancing with a young girl. Feeling a pang of jealousy when she looked away, she was clearly interested in him and they seemed a good match. The elf maid lent up to kiss him. Legolas flinched and pushed her away. The maids eyes filled with hurt and Legolas slipped off the dance floor and disappeared behind another group of maidens. She could not help but feel smug and as they passed the dejected maid, grinned spitefully at her. "Stop teasing her Eruanna." Haldir muttered into her ear. "But it's so fun" Eruanna complained. Haldir dropped her arms glaring at her and wandered over to the girl before taking her up to dance. Unfazed she settled herself by the food and began to help herself. Eruanna turned her attention to the hobbits, who were listening to the elven fairy tales. She heard Rumil calling her over; she stepped out of her hiding place and went over to see what he wanted. "My Lady Eruanna, will you sing for us this night?" the young Elf said looking hopeful, Eruanna felt her heart warm to him but she was in no mood for singing, "no Rumil. My heart is not in it" Eruanna sighed. More to the point she could not sing a note but she would not admit that to anyone.

Tiring of the party she hurried away to where the clothes she had hidden beneath a tree lay and quickly changed. Strapping her bow and quiver to her back, tying her sword to her waist. Eruanna began to run. The thoughts she was starting to have where not pleasant. She was supposed to be hunting but the chanting in her head was too much and she sank to her knees and let the visions wash over her, the poem that was whispered through Termoree pounding at her skull.  
"Not now. Not when I was recovering" was the last thing Eruanna thought before the visions overtook her.

When the darkness of her mind cleared she sat up slowly, the vision had been a brutal one, usually it made her dizzy but never before had it knocked her unconscious. Moving slowly, Eruanna crawled to a nearby tree, head was swimming and her sight blurred. Using the tree to support herself, she stood. After a minute her sight returned. Blood tricked from her nose, Eruanna mopped it up with the back of her hand, noting how she stank of sweat, so she went in search of a far river to bathe in. Once she had found one deep enough Eruanna undressed, unaware that she was being watched.

**Boromir**

Boromir had followed Eruanna from the dance, concerned about her but more of what she was planning. He had seen her fall to the ground and cry out in her own tongue but he had not known what to do. Now he followed her to a river hiding behind a tree he watched her undress. The corn coloured hair rippled down her back to her waist. The pale skin of her back puckered repulsively from the scars she bore. Boromir longed for her, he could not deny it, even with scars the had an air about her that was oddly inviting. He had not realised he was sweating or that his breath had increased till he looked away from the wondrous sight. "I should not be doing this, tis wrong. I have a lover, I do not need another" Boromir thought as he turned back to watch, but he could not help himself. As he watched from behind the tree, he watched her remove her breeches, gazed upon her delicate curves and the inhuman marks on her ankles from where chains had restrained her. He turned away again but could not bring himself to leave. He sat upon a tree root and waited.

**Eruanna**

As she finished removing her clothing, Eruanna sensed a presence nearby and knew she was being watched. More than that she could hear their breathing was laboured and smell their sweat. Her first thought was to hide but then she reconsidered "It would rude of me not to finish the show, maybe I will catch them out" she mused. Slipping into the water she bathed quickly then, climbed up onto the bank, dressed and crept into the bushes nearby before followed the scent of her admirer, sword drawn ready for anything.

**Boromir**  
Boromir stood up again, impatient to see more. To his surprise there was no one there. He felt a cold blade against his throat, and a cool, soft voice said "enjoying the view, Boromir, I thought men of Gondor new better" "I-I'm sorry" Boromir stuttered, "well, I will let you off this time, but if you ever try anything that I do not like, I shall sent you to sleep. Permanently." Eruanna said, her eyes challenging him; she lowered the blade, and sheathed it. Boromir bowed and scrambled away, fear and loathing for the enchantress filling his heart.

**Eruanna**

Eruanna watched the shrinking form of Boromir for some time until he had disappeared before heading in the same direction. It was still early and the sun was still young. "Poor Boromir, yet another man obsessed with one that is forbidden" she thought, then smiled on recalling the petrified expression on the man's face when he had been caught. This was becoming an unusual day for her, most people avoided her and those that did not, often took great care not to offend her. As Eruanna mused this next thought, a deer ran out from behind a tree, followed by a blond streak. The streak collided with her, almost knocking her over. She squealed in surprise before realising who it was. The deer ran off into the undergrowth out of sight. "Eruanna, I am sorry" the elf said. Eruanna glowered at Legolas. "What were you doing, mellonamin, trying to scare me to death?" Eruanna said, trying not to laugh at the elf's worried expression. "I was hunting, why where you afraid?" he answered, "I wasn't afraid. Boromir was spying on me when I was bathing, I thought he had more than just a peek in mind" Eruanna muttered defensively, lowering her guard. Legolas's expression changed from shock to worry then to disgust before settling for concern. "Are you ok? Did he harm you?" he asked softly, stroking her face tenderly. "No he did not, I knew he was there, I think I was the one who scared him." Eruanna said bitterly, wishing that his touch was one of affection and not merely of worry.

The elf nodded satisfied that she was ok," I heard you enjoyed hunting these woods when you were last here… Will you join me'" he asked, Eruanna felt the butterfly's rise up in her stomach. "Yes, I think I would" Legolas smiled "you think you would? if you wish to come then you better make your mind up, we have a deer to catch" Eruanna grinned "then we should not waste time talking, catch me if you can, elf, I'm known be uncatchable" Eruanna said, trying to sound in charge. Legolas grabbed her hand, scooped his bow off the ground undermining any authority and dignity she has wished it exert, before they both ran after the deer.

I saw an elf go running by fair he was  
I saw a Naira go running by fair she was, so fair  
They chases a deer they did, they did,  
But then forgot the world would tell the story in a poem  
But I fear it would spoil the world.

Come armed,  
or prepared to die.  
There is no other end to this road.  
See the blood upon your hands  
You gave them hope  
How cruel you are  
To feed false hope  
Did you really  
Think you were safe  
From harm  
Tucked away from grief  
You know there's a price to pay  
And the oaths already have been made.  
Now you must do its bidding.

Translation(s).

Mellonamin- My friend.


	11. Chapter 11

Eruanna ran through Loren the wind whistling through her hair and the trees whizzing passed frantically. Legolas ran after her, they reached an opening in the forest, "Rhaich! We lost him" She laughed, adrenaline still rushing through her body. "Ah well" Legolas said before pounced on her "I've got something" he yelled in mock surprise. Soon they both lay on the ground, out of breath from laughter. He cocked his head to one side scrutinising her. "You and Haldir seemed quite at ease with one another yesterday. Is there someone with whom I must compete with for you affection now?" He asked casually. Eruanna looked at him stunned. "You think I love Haldir?" she asked, holding back the laughter that threatened to irrupt. "You seemed to me quite close is all I suggested" Legolas replied. "Are you jealous?" she sniggered. "Of Haldir. No. Of course not; I have a new find now to tell my tales to. I don't need you" he answered rolling onto his stomach and settling comfortably of the grass. "You are jealous. I assure you, as much as I like Haldir he is far too arrogant and self-riotous for me to feel anything more than friendship towards him, he is not the one who has conquered my affections" She teased. He raised an eyebrow, "So I do have competition?" he tested huffily. "Yes. He is very handsome, clever and charming although he can be as stroppy as you sometimes" Eruanna told him. "He sounds dull" Legolas commented. "On the contrary he is far more interesting than you" She exclaimed. He went silent and rested his chin on his fore arms; she turned onto her belly and copied him.

They lay side by side for several minutes saying noting before Legolas smiled at her again. "Do you recollect doing this as children by the pool?" he asked. She nodded, "You always scared away the fish because you knew I liked to watch them" she said thoughtfully; "I shouldn't have to fight a fish for you attentions, you'd argue." He grinned, "Then I would do this to make you remember who your true friend was" he said tickling her. She pushed his off sniggering before pinning him down on the ground. She gazed up at her with a half-smile on his lips. "What?!" she giggled, "Have I got half the forest in my hair?" He snorted and removed the few leaves that had gathered in her hair. "You may as well have" her friend told her, grinning. Legolas sat up and she burst out into a fit of giggles for his hair was also entangled with leaves. A tear of laughter ran down her face but she made no attempt to remove it. "Ai, I theilin in edhil teiliar" she sighed contentedly; resting on her elbows to soak up the sun. Legolas smiled and wiped the tear away from her cheek with his thumb, he gazed at her for an instant before leaning in hesitantly. She felt her eyes flutter close as his lips brushed hers. "Díheno nin" he murmured. "Pardon you for what Legolas?" Eruanna quizzed, opening her eyes, her heart racing a little too fast. "I love you with all my heart" he murmured before suddenly looking ashamed and turning away. "It was nice Legolas" she found herself telling him as her cheeks flushed pink then she shyly lent over to the elf and kissed him timidly. Legolas pulled her close deepening the kiss and moaned against her lips.

"Damb my virtue" she thought but then he broke the kiss and smiled at her, tenderly caressing her face. She frowned at him, "Ai Mela en' coiamin, I want you so badly" she mumbled, kissing his neck tenderly. "We have time Eruanna. Today is not the right time" he said gently. "I'm sure your other experiences will satisfy your imagination for now" he continued, mischief dancing in his eyes. "There has only ever been you until moments ago I knew neither of what kisses felt like nor another's warm embrace" she confessed. "Never?" he asked kissing her gently. "Never, they weren't you" she murmured, "You are my first and last." He wrapped her in his arms contentedly, "I cannot claim you are my first kiss… but you will be my last" he said decidedly. She opened her mouth to ask more of an explanation but he place a finger on her lips. "Hush. I'm listening to a wonderful sound" he mumbled. "What?" Eruanna murmured. "I was always told that a naira's heart blood runs cold and that their hearts never beat, yet I feel warmth and hear a soft flutter within you" he responded kissing her cheek victoriously. "You've gone soft" she complained, "But I love you no less."

Sometime later...

Eruanna lay in Legolas's arms, her right hand intertwined with his. "I never thought I would feel like this" she thought, Legolas stirred, his blue eyes opened, "Eruanna, mellemin" he cooed happily, "you look perfect." "Quiet elf, I'm thinking" Eruanna scolded. "About what?" he asked. "You" she muttered resting her head back on the silken tunic that covered his chest. Legolas chucked, "what else is going on in that strange mind" he questioned. "Other people's opinions of us" she told him, then as an afterthought she added "May we not speak of this to the others; I want it to be our secret for now, besides it will be a shock after recent events." He said nothing but began to sing to her. She felt her eyelids droop to the lilting sound. "Legolas, stop, I wish not to sleep" Eruanna mumbled woozily but he paid no attention other than to kiss her head. She disentangled herself form his arms and sat up, pulling the twigs out from her hair. She felt his arms around her waist once more. "Lay back down my flame" he whispered. She shook her head trying hard to ignore him kissing her neck.

Absentmindedly she pulled her hair to onside and heard a sharp intake of breath from Legolas. His kisses had ceded but instead there was his fingers tracing a scar down the back of her neck. "Legolas" she said hesitantly. "Who did this to you?" he demanded. She did not answer but let him trace the path of laceration. "Who would dare harm my perfect treasure" he persisted. "My father" Eruanna replied. He kissed her reassuringly. "Anymore scars you would like to warn me about" he murmured. "I have too many to count" she sighed. "My poor Eruanna, how can anyone deserve such cruelty" he said gently. "Oh I deserved it" She answered simply. "Why did your father feel the need to harm you?" Legolas inquired, resting his chin on her shoulder. "It is merely collateral damage. My father was a drunkard and a fool and often lost his temper. I was often in his way." Eruanna told him. "You let him beat you" Legolas gasped. "It was the price to pay for a good lifestyle" she answered.

"I shan't let anyone harm you now" he sighed, kissing her ear. "You can't protect me from myself…" Eruanna protested. He kissed her cheek tenderly, "I can try," he said. "How can you love someone so repulsive and cruel" she muttered pushing him away. "Because you have done things that have been so but you are neither of those things. In time you shall learn to love yourself again" Legolas responded. "I do love myself." Eruanna retorted pathetically. "No. If you did you would value your life as more than just another piece in your king's army, if you did you would not harm others the way you would harm yourself, one day I hope you will learn how to restrain those traits and you will value yourself" Legolas told her sadly. She began to smile at him then a familiar cawing froze it her face into horror. "Eruanna, what is it" Legolas said gently. She scrambled to her feet and backed away from the tree feeling her face growing clammy and cold.

* * *

Legolas

"Eruanna, stop you're scaring me" he said but she didn't seem to hear him. She stood pressed up against the trunk of the tree, beads of sweat forming on her face. She whimpered her eyes staring straight ahead. He glanced over to see a small raven perched on the branch. "It's just a raven" he assured her softly, getting to his feet. She watched the bird, shaking violently. Confused as he was, Legolas made a step towards her. She let out a scream and doubled over before curling up in a ball and rocking. The bird flew across and sat nearer. "Leave me alone" she sobbed. He knelt beside her and wrapped an arm round her unsure of what to do. She shoved him violently crawling backwards. "Don't touch me" she howled clawing at her wrists "Get them off she wept, they hurt so much"

* * *

Eruanna

She was trapped in a dark room with chains holding her away from the small light coming from a key hole. In the rafters a raven crowed and fluttered desperately round the room. Her throat was raw from screaming but she let out another yell. The bird swooped and clawed at her face angry that she has disturbed its rest. She felt what seemed like an arm round her and instinctively pulled away. "Don't touch me" she screamed throwing herself away. The chains wrenched into her flesh "Please… Take them off… they're hurting me" she begged pulling viciously at the chains. The crow cackled again and fluttered to the door. There was a click in the lock and a shadow stepped into the room. "Time to pay princess" the shadow snarled. She pulled on her shackles screaming madly at him. "I would leave her. She's wild. No point raising your neck for one night with that thing," said another shadow, his eyes falling on her face. "Fuck you and all your bloodline" Eruanna snarled. "Go to hell," the man snapped back, slamming the door in her face. "I'm already there" she whispered coldly before darkness took her.

It was the middle of the night or nearly dawn when she woke, she wasn't in the cell or even the forest any more but what seemed to be a small room. She felt nothing but a dull numbness inside. A young healer stood over her frowning intently at her. She began to sit up but a severe pain shot through her head and she lay back down reluctantly. "How are you feeling?" the healer asked, checking her head. She didn't answer but closed her eyes again wishing to become invisible. "You had a severe panic attack or something similar, none of us really know what happened… has this happened before?" the healer pressed determinedly. Eruanna rolled onto her side feeling sick and empty of emotion. "How is she?" asked another voice, softer than the first. "She is awake but hasn't said anything" sighed the healer, "Would you see if you can get her to speak Legolas, she may feel more comfortable with you." Legolas sat down on the bed. "Eruanna, mellemin are you feeling better?" he said, taking her hand in his. She looked at the healer who was trying to hide her surprise at the use of such an endearment. She smiled wickedly at her and shook her head in response. "I might be if she leaves" she muttered darkly, "she's been prodding me all morning." "I don't think that's wise" the young girl argued, "Only for a short while, I'll see that she is cared for" Legolas pleaded. Sighing, she snatched up her bowl of medicines and stalked out.

* * *

Legolas

"Better?" he said smiling. "Maybe a little" she answered drowsily. "When you said that I can't protect you from yourself…" he started to say, but she cut him off. "I am not well Legolas. My body may be but my mind is not, I have seen things and sometimes I dwell on them and it drives me to insanity. What you saw in hollin, it was the backlash of years of fighting, I cannot recover from it. There are times when I have made attempts on my life to escape the things I have seen…" she started to say. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't' have told you that" she said feeling ashamed. "You went to war far too young and never stopped fighting; it was inevitable that it would affect you. I am glad that you told me, I only wish you did not blame yourself" Legolas said quietly. "I was trained for the stress battle would cause. I learned to supress fear. It should not affect me but the bird…" she whispered. "The raven?" he asked curiously. He saw her shudder and the she seemed to become suddenly more distant, "I lied when Boromir asked if I feared anything" she confessed. "I know, you may be able to convince the others but you do not convince me" Legolas said affectionately. "I'm afraid of them… I never liked birds but carrion used to terrify me. I thought I'd gotten over it but they seem to follow me wherever I go. Every time the things that should scare me happen they are always there and it's the only thing I can remember of the events" she blurted before looking away again in disgrace.

"There is no shame in being afraid" he sighed, pulling her into is chest. "Try telling that to my uncle or my father. They would think I am afraid of battle" Eruanna snapped shoving him away. He felt a sting of pain at her rejection but quickly hid it; it would do nothing but further her distress. "I don't know what you grew up believing but I know you are a brilliant swords woman and are not afraid to put those skills to good use. They would be both be fools to believe otherwise, it is merely that your fear likes to preside in the same places you find yourself. You are more than in your rights to react the way you did" he scolded. She smiled and huddled into his chest. "It will never go away. I can forget it for a long time but to do that I will not feel anything and I want to feel" she sighed. "Then I will have to learn to understand it" Legolas told her; "We shall cope with it together, you do not have to do it alone anymore." He held her tightly to him longing to take away all of her suffering but he knew it to be impossible, it was all too common in her kind but it was so frowned upon that no one spoke of it openly. "Eruanna" he whispered. "Yes" she slurred wearily. "I love you"

She closed her eyes and he relaxed as a contented smile flickered on her lips. "Legolas" she whispered. "Yes?" "What do the others think has happened to me, this cannot have gone unnoticed" she asked. "They think your leg was giving you grief, they do not hat you for it" he answered stroking her hair. "No. they just don't like me. Or at least Aragorn doesn't and Boromir acts like he does but he is only interested in what he can gain from me. The dwarf is unnerved by me, the hobbits, well i cannot tell and you, you claim to love me" Eruanna muttered. "You have no faith in my feelings?" he asked. "None at all" she mumbled, "If you did care about me you would stay far away from me, at lest if you where wise." Legolas began to feel sick. She was pushing him away again and he was powerless to stop it. "I'm not wise" he said softly. "Then you cannot blame me if I hurt you" she told him before letting sleep take her. He sat there for a long time. She wouldn't hurt him would she? She wouldn't leave him, she couldn't leave him. He knew there was more than a chance she was capable of it. He remembered the young woodman and his family and shivered in revulsion. She should never have done it but she couldn't have stopped herself if she had wanted to.

_Eruanna had shuck out during the night, curious Legolas followed. The celebrations of his coming of age where still in full swing and anyone could get through the gates without much trouble. He followed her to the stable where he saw her saddle a horse and strap her sword to her side. The moonlight catching the red of her eyes started sending shivers down his should be afraid of her. He should turn a blind eye like all the others. She was up to something and his heart wanted to see return safely but his head told him that he would regret following. He chose to ignore his head. He waited until she had trotted off into the trees before saddling his mare and following as quickly as he could. She was going at a fast pace and he wasn't sure he was following her as she had her hood pulled up and rode like a man possessed. Wherever she was headed it required urgency. His hopes were reinstated after a tree branch knocked her hood away from her face. She began to slow the horse and clambered off. She tied the animal to a tree before slotting an assortment of knives into their holders. He saw her look around to see if she as being watched before she drew her long sword and knelt in the moonlight. "Let vengeance be my guidance and justice wield my sword. May no man cross me i pray to you almighty goddess of night let me offer you a great sacrifice for my faithful soul" she whispered. the wind picked up in the surrounding trees for a moment then it died down once more. Legolas began to try and guess where they where. It was far from his home and it made him wonder what business she had away from the safety of his fathers borders. The king often charged her with errands but usually to visit her own father and she never crept away into the night to do them. The trees where thinning out and through them he could see the twinkle of lights from a cabin. "Why so far south?" he wondered as she slipped closer to the house. He watched as she scouted around it, checking for alternative exits. Dread began to pool in his mind and he notched an arrow to his bow should he need it. On finding there where no routes save the frond door she knocked on the large brass handle and waited patently. It opened casting a warm fairy tale firelight across the green grass. A small curly-haired child with big bold eyes peered up at her. "Is your father at home?" Eruanna demanded of the child. The girl shook her head, her curls bouncing wildly around her small face. "May i come in" Eruanna asked gently. She girl beamed a trusting smile and let her through the door way. There was silence for a long time. _

_Curiously__ he crept up to the small window and saw the Eruanna leaning over a bundle of blankets. She picked the blankets up and moved into another room. He heard a small giggle and then a crash of a plate falling off a dresser. Then there was more quite. A baby began to cry and he saw Eruanna walking back into the room shushing it gently before laying it in an armchair. He saw a man and a young woman wander from the tree line and pressed himself into the shadows so as not to be seen. The man entered with the woman in his arms then said "Arlen, Take our baby and lock yourself in the kitchen. I have business to settle. Do not open the door under any circumstance." Legolas peered up into the room. The man watched his wife retreat to the kitchen then grabbed the nearest heavy object. "What do you want" he snarled at her. "Justice." Eruanna replied, her eyes flashed silver and the rock he held flew out of his hand. She grabbed his wrist and flipped him onto his front before smashing his skull against the stone he would have used against her. He lay still and quiet. Eruanna turned him over onto his back. She __bent over him knelt and lowered her lips to his neck. He teeth sank teeth into his veins and she gripped the body which flailed violently in its unconscious state. Legolas raised his bow to shoot her but he could not release his arrow. His eyes became transfixed as the man woke gasping and pulling at her hands to free himself. Slowly his efforts became weaker and his body went limp. She raised her head and but he could not see her face as her back was turned to him. He stood, cocking her head on one side and walking over to the locked door. She tried the lock and let out a feral moan of anguish. He watched as she sniffed the air like a wolf on a hunt, then she kicked at the lock. The hinges began to splinter. Once again he took aim to shoot but he could not release the arrow. The door gave and the woman began to scream. He ran round to the kitchen window but he could see nothing. After a few more moments the baby's wailing stopped too. He saw the door to the cabin open and Eruanna stepped out. She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. The moon cast a dark reflection around her. Blood stained her clothes and hair. She swayed drunkardly for a few moments. "Forgive me Eru..." she whispered before she tore off into the night._

___The cabin was hot and dark. Legolas managed to find the candles and lit them in the fire. The man lay in a pool of scarlet, great gashes down his face and neck. He ran into the kitchen, the woman lay under the table her body torn apart. There was a foul smell of charring flesh and he turned to see the kitchen fire burning brightly. It had a small distinctive shape lying in its fingers. He staggered out of the room gagging with the effort of trying not to be sick. He then remembered the blue-eyed girl and opened the last door. She lay peacefully on the bed, eyes staring up at the ceiling, hands folded across her chest. Pottery lay in shards all around. He stepped closer and the sight made his stomach turn. The girl was gone. Her gold ringlets splayed out across the bed, soaked red. Her throat had been torn wide open as if some wild beast had turned tyrant and held her down by it as she had struggled. Her face was snowing in the stark contrast to the color of her pillows and her lips where slowly turning blue as the lifeblood that she had trickled out. Legolas struggled out of the hut before being violently sick upon the grass. He gripped the handrail to steady himself and looked up. Blue eyes met crimson ones. "Eruanna. What have you done?" he whispered before sinking to his knees, vaguely aware of two arms encircling him as he fell._

* * *

Translations:

Rhaich- (Naira) Shit!

Ai, I theilin in edhil teiliar- Oh the games you elves do play (rough translation)

Díheno nin-Forgive me.

Mela en' coiamin- Love of my life

Mellemin- My love

* * *

Thank you for reading ;)  
I am considering writing the next person to review into the story...

If you fancy it tell me what you think and where I can improve.

Next chapter will be uploaded asap


	12. Chapter 12

Aragorn

He paced up and down under the soft light form above. There was so little time to decide their course of action and he had given up asking Boromir's opinion. Aragorn thought that his behaviour was becoming more erratic, only the other night he had come staggering through the trees claiming that Eruanna had tried to kill him. He shivered unintentionally at the thought of the naira. She was present at times and good to the halflings but she gave of a cold brooding aura that made him uneasy. He wanted to talk to Legolas and ask his advice but Eruanna has been taken ill as her leg had become infected and Legolas has taken it upon himself to stand guard by her bedside. Sighing he turned back to his pacing growing more and more irritated. Boromir was plaguing his mind. The influence of the ring was growing and it was plain to see that it's affect on the son of Denethor was strong. Even the hobbits where being to notice the changes. Haldir who had barely known Boromir for more than five minutes had warned him to tread carefully. Now they were going into more dangerous wilds he was not sure whether he could trust Boromir, he already had one of the company he did not trust. He had seen the look in Eruanna's eyes at the thought of being rid of Frodo in Moria when the watcher grabbed him thought he had said nothing. It was ten he saw a curly head peeping out from under the bushes. Pippin, he thought and pretended he hadn't seen him.

"Who is it that is concerning you Aragorn?" Pippin asked curiously. "If you are worriedly about Boromir, he is just finding the idea of disobeying his father's wishes hard to handle, im sure of it" the hobbit continued. "It is not only boomer that concerns me" Aragorn replied, helping pippin out from under the shrubs. "Oh. You mean…" he trailed off nervously. "I'm afraid you cannot be fooled by her charming appearance, she is by her very nature deceitful" Aragorn answered. "But it is nothing to do with a person that truly troubles me" he assured. The hobbit frowned at him, "I am worried about routes to take" Aragorn explained. "That's what I came here to tell you about. I heard Haldir telling Boromir to tell you that they are going to give us boats to travel in as well as supplies of course" Pippin replied. "Thank you Pippin, that puts my mind at some ease" Aragorn told him gratefully, "Actually, I was wondering which way the food supplies where? It's just we haven't had second breakfast yet" Pippin said thoughtfully. Aragorn threw back his head and laughed before leading the hobbit back to the citadel, Boromir still playing faintly on his mind.

Eruanna

Eruanna gazed back at the fading forest of Loren. The gentle current pulled the boats downstream with ease. She knew something bad was on the horizon however she could not tell what. Lying down in the front boat, Eruanna wished she was anywhere but in that boat, the only comfort for her was Legolas but he was too busy talking to Gimli. "Never mind, you don't need him" Eruanna thought contentedly. The sloshing against the boat and the cool breeze against her cheek lifted her spirits. Eruanna gazed up at the sky. Skylarks flew overhead, singing delightedly. Looking over the side of the boat, Eruanna saw fish darting in and out of the reeds. She felt an overwhelming desire to slip into the water, and swim, to feel the water caress her body. To be free from the troubles of the world, that was what she truly wanted. The world was silent in its dormant state of sleep; its creatures seemed scarce for no birds sang. No small mammal ran along the shore. There was only the soft lull of the water hissing like the mouth of an untameable serpent.

As day drew into night, the moon reflected of the crystal blue river, the stars sung brightly, in their mysterious way, the way only a naira knew. Yet for all this peaceful stillness, there was a sense of malice in the air, a pure cold hate, which she knew well. Shaking of the uneasy cold feeling, Eruanna looked over at the other boats, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin slept peacefully, as did Gimli, his snores where enough to waken a dragon. Eruanna smiled at this, she loved dragons and they loved her some of them did at least. She had never understood the fear between dragons and the other races of middle earth. She mulled this thought over for a long while. Her kind had never had a problem with a dragon though they should have done a long time ago. Shouting roused her from her semi conscience mind. "Eruanna duck" Legolas yelled, Eruanna did so just in time, an arrow flew past her cheek grazing it. Eruanna took her bow and shot the arrow back, hitting the orc square in the forehead, pulling off her quiver with her arrows in, blood ebbed from where the string had caught her knuckle. She cursed herself for not letting Legolas teach her how to use a bow properly before grabbing her sword and jumping of the side of the boat, the water was ice cold and fast flowing but Eruanna knew she could not come up yet. Swimming under the water, she reached a heavily shrouded bank, she drew her sword and crept along the river till she reached the bank where the orcs stood, scrambling up a tree, she edged along the branch. Leaping down to face the orcs, she knew that she was in trouble, there was at least fifteen, "oh well, can't be the worst I will face" Eruanna thought then lunged at the orcs.

From the boats the fellowship watched with horror as the seemingly gentle Eruanna hacked orc after orc into pieces, then a shadow crossed over the moon and it went dark. So dark that they shrank into the boats to escape the darkness that covered them, Legolas let fly his arrows and the beast fell to the ground, he then set upon the orcs on the shore. Eruanna collapsed on the bank with relief, rage tearing through her system like a rampant hurricane, all the orcs where dead, they lay in heaps around her though she could take little of the credit. The river once blue was now running black with blood. Eruanna ran her hand over the top of her head taking long breaths to temper the anger inside of her, before calling to Legolas to pick her up off the shore. Once back on the boat, she settled in the back of the boat, and fell into a deep sleep. No dreams ebbed at the corners of her mind, no callings of tainted promise of forever called out to her. Only a permeable darkness that filled her mind and dragged her away from a conscious world where love and sorrow awaited her.

When she awoke she was laying on a stony inlet on the edge of the river bank, wrapped in blankets form head to toe. The fellowship slept soundly save for Aragorn who gazed out across the landscape. Eruanna rose and trudged over to where the ranger sat and settled herself beside him. He glanced at her, frowned but said nothing. "Do you miss her?" Eruanna asked at length. "Yes, more than words can describe" The man answered, uncomfortable in her presence. "You will see her again, I am sure of it. I do not think it will be how you expect however" she mused out loud. Aragon looked at her confused. "You will see but I did not come to talk of lady Arwen. There is a matter that troubles me greatly and sorrows me more every passing hour" She continued. "And what is that" Aragorn asked gingerly. She glanced around to see if all were asleep, then replied simply: "Boromir, he troubles me utterly. His mind is not what it was when I saw him in Rivendell. Be on your guard Aragorn. He wants that ring." The man's face grew grave, "I have seen the changes too but thought them but stress, are you certain it is tied to the ring" he asked. "As sure as I can be" Eruanna replied grimly "I know the effects of stress on its own and it is not what is see". The ranger gazed back out across the river, "If only it was my heart instead of his that must be corrupted" he sighed. "It is what fate has decided and I fear it will not end well should his father get his hands on the ring, do not go anywhere near Gondor I beg of you Aragorn" Eruanna advised. With a curt nod he left her alone once more.

A great fighter she was,

She knew more of war and pain than many,

She needed no company, none, or so she thought

Trust she never learned but for one

Under a starlit sky she longed for her past to be altered

But the stars bore down cold and unyielding

And for all she cried out into the darkness and all the comfort of a lover's warm embrace,

Her pain would not leave her no matter what she did.


	13. Chapter 13

Eruanna lay on the stony bank of the river, curled up beside Legolas. The others were scattered round them, sleeping tranquilly. Eruanna could not sleep, though her body yearned for rest. She stood up, and stretched, shaking off any need for sleep. She wandered over to the cliff at the back of the inlet. She ran her hands over the rock; feeling for a handhold, once she found one, Eruanna began to climb up the sheer rock. The wind ruched around her, Eruanna laughed, she felt free at last, her companions where but specs below. She carried climbing up the rock, once at the top, Eruanna sighed in relief. She was away from all eyes up here, she could her herself. She closed her eyes and let the memories that had been trying overwhelm her finally take hold.

_There was a room with high stone walls and stained glass windows, upon the ceiling was painted many battles and on the floor, pearl, diamond emerald and ruby as well as many unnameable gems swept out in mosaic after mosaic. At the far end of the room upon a pedestal was a throne cast from gold and black jet and upon it sat a king. His eyes dark and pooling black, his face a wreck of scarred tissue. His biceps bulged from the tight bearskin shirt he wore and in his right hand he held a whip and in the other a sword. "Ah. Niece of mine" He called to her. "Do you have a coin on you?" She handed him a bronze coin known as Draziger. He looked at it carefully. "I hear you are the cause behind all my troubles. Yet you are family and by longest serving captain. You have put me in quite a dilemma. Do I show mercy? Or will I be ruthless?" He asked. She knelt before him, "I am at your indulgence my lord" he murmured. "I think I will let this coin decide, what you think?" he asked. "I think that fair" She said bitterly. The coin flew up in the air and clattered before her knees. "Tales. It seems it would have been your head, but I am feeling generous." Eruanna looked up at her uncle, her eyes burning with venom and hate. "Do what you will with me uncle. Just promise me you will not harm my brother" he snarled. "Your brother? Your brother is missing and has been for some time" the king crowed joyfully. "GAURDS" he yelled. Two armoured guards entered. "I want her taken to the main square and given five hundred lashes. If she makes a sound… Double it" he ordered. So she was dragged through the streets with the pitiful eyes of her people gazing up at her. As they tied her to the rack she vowed she would not utter one word to any of them again, until her revenge was completed._

_The scene in her memory then changed to a large warm chamber with a roaring fire and large four poster bed. On it sat a girl with wavy, corn coloured hair and big green eyes. Behind her a woman with back raven wing tresses, sat reading a book to the child. The child froze suddenly listening intently. The woman whispered in her ear. The child hid herself under the bed and the woman reached for a small hunting knife that lay nearby. Leering in the doorway a man stood holding a black dagger. The child saw her mother freeze in horror. "Well, well" the man hissed, "aren't you a delicious sight." His scent began to fill up the room, old fish and dried out cabbage lingered in the air. He reached for the woman's behind grinning as he did so. She struck his cheek with the knife. "You want to play do you?" he snapped. The child covered her ears as her mother began to scream in terror and pain as the man forced himself upon the her. Eruanna hid her face in the dust and waited for the screams to end. Once they did she waited some more. The first thing she felt as her hand slid out from under the bed was a warm, sticky substance. Then she saw her mother, laying discarded on the floor and gasping for air. "Mama" She whispered. She crawled over to her and held her mother's head in her lap. Red poured out from her mother's heart and from her throat. It had stained the pure white silks that she wore and began to stain the sky blue of her own tunic. "Mama, Mama. Please don't go. Don't leave me on my own" Eruanna begged. Tears poured down the child' face. "Don't give up mama. Heal. Please." She sobbed. "I love you little one" whispered the woman, "Promise me you will be good." "I promise" wept the naïve child, for it was a promise that would be many times broken. The last of her mother's breath left her body and Eruanna let out a scream of rage and sadness, before bending over the body of her mother to weep._

Eruanna blinked back the tears that came with the memories of her mother. Now however the memory of that night had almost been repeated. She shuddered softly to herself and set about hunting breakfast.

Earlier that evening...

Eruanna sat, singing quietly to herself, she missed Bill's company. Legolas was arguing with Aragorn, so there was no chance they could sneak off anywhere. Eruanna head lifted as an odd smell wafted over to her, she followed it round a bend only to discover that it was merely a cluster of flowers. She crept further away, following the shallow path of the inlet that lead round to another inlet with a deep pool. Once hidden from prying eyes, Eruanna undressed and slid into the water. Letting the water soothe her muscles, she ducked under and then came up, shivering from the sudden iciness of the water. Obviously, it was time to get out and go hunting. Once dressed, Eruanna sat on the side of the pool, thinking over her feelings for Legolas. She loved him dearly but wondered whether it was right to be so in love with one of a different species, it was not logical that she should plus it was also rash and dangerous. The loud crunch of rubble stirred her, looking round she saw Boromir leaning some distance off against the stone wall. "He is very persistent, I'll give him that" Eruanna thought." "My Lady, I'm sorry to disturb you, I...I was worried that you were hurt." the man said. "I am perfectly fine, Boromir" Eruanna said, hiding her irritation. She began to walk back to the others, but the man grabbed her arm and pulled her into a kiss. Eruanna pulled away and punched him, his nose cracked loudly with the impact of her fist, Boromir fought back, launching a fist in her direction. Eruanna dodged it easily and kneed him in the stomach, Boromir kicked her shin and Eruanna screamed in pain and surprise. Aragorn and Legolas came running. Legolas grabbed her pulling her to face him, murmuring softly into her ear before holding her tightly to restrain her. She fought his grip, her blood boiling with fury. Aragorn seized Boromir, and held him firm, Eruanna broke free and lunged again at the man. Her hands seized his throat and it took both Aragon and Legolas to remove them, leaving the man momentarily winded before he threw himself at her but Aragorn seized him. Boromir was in a fit of rage and fighting Aragorn with every ounce of strength in him, Aragorn wouldn't have been able to hold him much longer, but Gimli heard the commotion and came running. "Legolas, take her back to the camp, take care of her, we will deal with Boromir. Do not let her out of your sight" Aragorn said calmly. Legolas seemed like he wanted to strangle Boromir right there on the spot, but he nodded and he led her away calmly. As soon as the where out of sight, Legolas pulled her into a possessive kiss, Eruanna clung to him delightedly. "Did he harm you my little flame?" He murmured gently. Eruanna shook her head though her leg seethed with pain. "I will kill him if he lays even his eyes on you again" Legolas hissed, his eyes bubbled with anger, his arms wrapped tightly round her waist. "I don't think he will" she said soothingly. Legolas smiled then glancing over his shoulder; he led her back to the camp.

Eruanna sighed, Boromir had come back with his nose bleeding, and she later discovered she had broken it. She smiled thinking to herself that it was a comfort at any rate. Dawn was breaking and Eruanna sighed again, walked to the edge of the cliff and jumped. Legolas was awake, and watching her intently, she went over and sat beside him, Legolas breathed out slowly, "he's watching you, closely, mellemin" he said nodding in Boromir's direction.  
"Shall we give him something to watch" Eruanna asked, trying to not look too pleased with herself. Legolas looked at her and stroked her cheek. Eruanna lent in and her lips brushed his. Legolas's hand ran up her back and wound into her hair. Eruanna wrapped her arms round his neck and their kiss deepened. She heard Boromir gasp in horror. "I think he's got the message" she said breathlessly. Legolas smiled and kissed her again. "Would you like me to stop now?" he said against her lips. "No, never" Eruanna murmured her breath shaky. Legolas pulled her onto his lap and as the sun rose over the river, Legolas and Eruanna wished that time would stand still, though both knew it would not. The day was new and they were nearing Mordor every day. "Not long now to, mellemin, not long until we can go home" Eruanna whispered to Legolas, Legolas smiled and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Eruanna" he whispered. "I Love you too, Legolas, I love you too"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Legolas

Legolas felt the jealous eyes of Boromir boring into his soul. He kissed Eruanna gently before telling her he had to collect fire wood. She mumbled an irritable complaint but nothing more. Once out of earshot he waited calmly in the shade of an overhanging tree. Boromir appeared not long after. "You know what you tried to do was wrong" Legolas told him. The shame on the man's face intensified as he spoke the words and Legolas felt pity for the man. "I did not know her heart belonged to you, I thought she might.." Boromir he began before letting his voice trail off. "Her heart belongs to herself, who she will lend it to is her choice, you almost got yourself killed" Legolas retorted. "And what about your heart. Are you lending it to her?" Boromir snapped. "I gave her my heart when I first met her, I did not give her cold words of her inferiority due to her sex at every chance I got" Legolas reminded him. Boromir looked ashamed. "What do you want me to do?" he asked. "Apologize. Stop perusing her affections" Legolas said, anger building up inside him. "And what if I don't?" boomer asked. Legolas lost it and his fist connected with the mans face. Boromir groaned and clutched at his face glaring at him. "One more word and I'll do it again" Legolas snapped, trying to retrain the contempt within him. "Very well "the man muttered. Satisfied he wouldn't disturb Eruanna again he set off collect firewood with Boromir trailing after.

Eruanna

Boromir returned with his nose a bloody mess. His eye severely swollen and he seemed to have gained a pathetic false limp. Legolas returned with an angelic smile on his face. She sighed and began to help load the goods. She saw the startled looks the others gave the man and they all turned to look at her. She shrugged and carried on packing. It was going to be a long journey. Boromir stepped tentatively towards her and glanced over at the elf who nodded. "I wanted to apologist for my actions earlier... they where wrong and I'm sorry" he said... She studied his face before deciding he was being genuine and went back to loading the boat. "That's it. Not one word of acknowledgment?" Boromir asked. Eruanna's head snapped round and she stepped forward to meet his eyes. "You want acknowledgement Boromir. If you where one of my kind you would be tied to a stake and burned alive how about that for acknowledgment." she snapped. "Eruanna that's enough" Aragorn interjected. She turned away, then kicked the nearest back furiously. "One more word Boromir and I'll slit your throat" she hissed before throwing the rest of the gear into the front of the boat.


	14. Chapter 14

Eruanna watched Frodo for some time; He seemed caught up in his thoughts. "What troubles you" Eruanna asked, the hobbit looked startled "it just something I was told" he said warily. Eruanna nodded, he did not wish to say what he was thinking, but he was troubled. "You don't like me do you?" she said softly. "I don't trust you" he answered, "You are someone who would betray all her fiends for the sake of her own life." "You are wiser than some in is company" she confessed. "You don't deny that you would" Frodo questioned. "I have thought often of how easy it would to kill you and take the ring" Frodo backed away, "I mean you no harm, it has merely crossed my mind" Eruanna assured him. "Long ago my sister killed a man of gondor who possessed the ring... I covered it up for as long as i could but i slowly saw what it was doing to her, she was erratic and i no longer recognized her as my sister. I have seen the struggles you have faced Frodo and for that reason i would not take the ring for my own. I want to live with my will and not another's" She explained. "I thank you, you have been helpful" the halfling told her then hurrying away to the other hobbits. She walked over to where Gimli and Legolas stood talking. "Keep an eye on him. I fear he is to leave our company and travel alone" she whispered to them both. Gimli frowned at her, "And why would he do that?" he growled. She just shrugged at the dwarf and gave Legolas a wry glance. The elf smiled gently. "We will keep an eye on him, though I cannot see why you won't" Legolas murmured. "I'm going to scout the area." She said simply. Satisfied Legolas turned back to Gimli and continued his conversation.

The forests surrounding the shores where vast in size with great green leaves that blocked out most of the sun and stole all warmth the sun could gift. She climbed higher up the sloping landscape. There was a chill about the air, great wisps of invisible cold drifted from place to place. The trees breathed softly, their leaves waving delicately and hesitantly in the occasional breeze. There was nothing to be heard or seen so she wanders lazily back to the group. On her return it was clear that all was not well. The company sat arguing among themselves about what should be done and which route was best to take. She sat down on the edge of the group and studied each face. The hobbits where quiet and listening to Boromir and Aragorn argue about whether the ring would be safe in Gondor. Legolas has joined in on Aragorn's side and Gimli was agreement with Boromir. "Neither one is a good route in my opinion" Eruanna interjected; "The marshes are hard to cross and many lose their lives. There is no real route if we go to Gondor save a dark passage were no one travels." "Then which way would you go." Boromir snapped. "Nowhere near your city," she retorted venomously. "What would you have us do Eruanna" Aragorn asked. "Oh, you want my opinion now" Eruanna answered irritably. "Eruanna" Legolas rebuked. "I'm not sorry." Eruanna huffed, "Now when things are hard you all want my help." "I value your opinion" Aragorn replied. "Fine. There is a secret passage through the mountains surrounding Mordor, it is only known to my people as we built it to spy on our enemy" Eruanna was about to explain when Sam interrupted. "Where is Frodo?" He asked. They all looked around but there was no sign of him.

Eruanna watched the panic around the camp, Frodo had gone. She could hear orcs snarling wildly, their heavy footfall getting closer by the second. She looked around fear for the others tightened her stomach in its iron fist and it began to reach a level she had never known before, Frodo, where was Frodo?  
She ran up the forest track, checking for footprints all the way. Were the others where, she did not know. The orcs poured out from behind the tree's, Eruanna began to panic as they drew her swords, there where to many for her alone at least if she used natural combat, Eruanna sheathed her sword, deciding that it was no use against son many then looked at them all in the eyes; pity filled her heart but she raised her hand anyway. "Elea ie' dome, Pelekta yassen runya" Eruanna said gritted her teeth as an agonizing bolt of power flew down her arm and engulfed the orcs, the creatures howled in pain, the smell was revolting. Burnt flesh scent filled the cool. air Eruanna's eyes widened at the scene before her, there was nothing left of the orc's, her breath was laboured and she felt frail, her head spun, it had been far too long since she had used strong forms of magic and it weakened her. She knelt in attempt to regain her strength watching the purple flames lick the dead corpses. There was utter calm. Smoke billowed all around blacking and heating the cool air.

A clear trumpet broke the silence. "Boromir" Eruanna thought, staggering in the direction of the noise. Orcs poured down the hillside and she struggled to fight them off alone. Aragorn showed her out-of-the-way as an arrow sailed past where she had stood. He got to his feet quickly and drew his sword. She glowered at him, "A thank you would be nice" he said slicing off the head of the nearest orc before running off. "I had it under control" she yelled after him, clambering to her feet and following him in the direction of the horn.

The horn had stopped its call and when she reached where its pure sound had come from she saw a sight that made her eyes sting with tears. Eruanna blinked them away, she did not wish cry and she could not bring herself to weep false tears for him. He did not deserve her tears, his actions towards her had been of ill choice, and were not wholly of his own judgment but he had still done them and she could never forgive or forget it. Boromir lay silently lent against a tree, his body broken. Aragorn wept beside his friend. Legolas and Gimli had bowed their heads in respect. Eruanna walked towards Aragorn. Gently she placed her hand on his shoulder, "come away, there is nothing you can do for him now. You belong with the living, let the dead rest" She said. Aragorn stood, "We should not leave him like this" he said. "Then let us lay him to sleep in the river" Legolas said. Aragorn nodded, Eruanna turned away, walking back to the river, and she watched two hobbits cross to the other bank. "Ai, I hope you will be ok, may the valar protect you, both" Eruanna murmured, "I hope you will be ok."

Eruanna watched the boat slip over the falls carrying Boromir's cold body away to the sea. The lapping of the small waves on the shore echoed the sadness in the hearts of the remaining fellowship. Aragorn and Legolas sang a lament for their lost friend. While Eruanna silently said a prayer:

"When the cold of winter comes  
Starless night will cover day  
In the veiling of the sun  
We will walk in bitter rain  
But in dreams  
I can hear your name  
And in dreams  
We will meet again  
When the seas and mountains fall  
And we come to end of days  
In the dark I hear a call  
Calling me there  
I will go there  
And back again and you will be forgiven"

"It's over" Eruanna said sullenly. "We have failed them, the fellowship is broken" Gimli said. "No" Eruanna heard herself say. "We still have hope and we may trust in it" Legolas added. "We cannot leave Merry and Pippin to torment and death" Aragorn dedcided. "Then we must hurry" Legolas said, "Time does not tarry forever but change and growth is not in all things and places alike. For the Elves the world moves and it moves both very swift and very slow. Swift, because they change little, and all else fleets by: it is a grief to them. Slow, because they do not count the running years, not for themselves." "Then we are wasting time with our sentimental speeches and long words" Eruanna replied. "Come let us hunt some orc" Aragorn ordered. Eruanna followed them slowly; glancing back at the small shaped disappearing into the trees on the opposite bank. "Stay safe for the sake of my kin if nothing else" she muttered, before running up a dusty track after the disappearing forms of a man, and elf and a dwarf


	15. Chapter 15

Eruanna watched the sun set over the hills. Never before had she felt so tired, they had stopped had stopped for a rest but every second they refreshed themselves could be vital seconds lost. The air was thick and the silence so pure it made her afraid to breathe. "We should not be resting" Legolas said as he stood beside her. "Hush yourself, I have friends watching the orcs as we speak, they are safe for now, do not worry yourself, you should get some rest" Eruanna said, her eyes fixed on the huge sun that was sinking on the horizon. The elf looked at her, a look of bewilderment on his face as Eruanna took his hand gently, "tis another day tomorrow, all will be revealed" She said. The elf nodded before prying his hand from her and wrapping it round her waist. Eruanna snuggled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "The days are becoming crueller. Will you be going back to your people soon my love?" Legolas asked. Eruanna looked at him from her cosy place under his arm. "No. Not ever, I will not leave this world to destruction when my own has suffered in the same way and I can't leave you, I fear there will be no easy road for you after this war is over" Eruanna replied. Legolas looked slightly confused but said nothing else. Eruanna sighed; it would be a dark day before another world was destroyed because of her people's selfishness.

Screams echoed round the forest track. Arrows flew in all directions. A young woman with hair like jet and eyes the colour of blood screamed a battle cry. Tûrwethiel, crown princess of Termoree screamed orders at the hunting party as the massacred the small group of men. Her sister stood watching in horror as her friends and family set upon the royal march. Isildur vanished. Straining her eyes she saw her sister aim and arrow at the water. Blood billowed up around an invisible corpse. Tûrwethiel cheered and signalled for two young guards to drag the body from the water. She held up a gold ring and smiled to herself. She then ordered the other guards to find some orcs to cover up the truth of the massacre. Once she thought herself alone she cut open the kings chest and removed his still beating heart. Eruanna watched her sister gorge herself on the king's heart before removing all evidence that it was a naira attack. Eruanna wiped away her tears and turned away. She wandered through the blackening forest with no sense of where she was going. Her heart ached with the pain of what she has seen. Her sister was corrupt. There was nothing to do but turn her in along with all those who had aided her. A fortnight later the ring had been cast into the river. Tûrwethiel had escaped and all those who had aided her in the attack burnt alive and Eruanna had been sentenced to exile for protecting her sister.

Eruanna now stared out into the loud darkness, remembering all that had happened. It had been so long ago that most had forgotten it but she never would. Not the blood-stained grass or the red running river. Not the words that passed her lips and sentenced her sister to death. Nor would she forget what the ring had done to her once virtuous people and what it had stripped her of. It had taken her titles her land and all she possessed for it had set in motion the rebellion that had caused the new king to seize power and lower her station to a captain She knew in her heart that while she was at such a low position, marriage to Legolas would be impossible unless her uncle was murdered. This set a new train of thought siding thought her mind. Thranduil was well-known for finding wealthy brides for his sons. Wealthy brides of a similar position and class of which she used to belong to. Then a truly dreadful thought crossed her mind. A truly treasonous and desperate thought. "What is the king where to have a nasty accident and met an untimely demise?" She thought to herself. "Why then you would become queen for there is no other known heir to the throne" the sly voice in the back of her mind said. "I couldn't" Eruanna chided herself. "But you have done it before" chortled the voice. "To your own father no less." Eruanna's stomach twisted. "And if m plan had gone the right way I would be queen now and not that filthy wretch" she hissed angrily. "Think of all the power" continued the voice. "The respect and recognition, you would never have to hide again." Eruanna thought long about such a pleasing idea, and then a painful thought slapped her back to reality. "You couldn't have Legolas" she sighed. "Why?" hissed the voice, "With all that power he could not leave your side." "Exactly, he would die of misery and I would fall into despair. That is not the queen my people need" she answered. The voice was silent.

It was now dark and the fire dimmed, Eruanna slipped from the elf's warm hold and place a log on the fire. "I pray that they will be ok" Legolas sighed, startling her for she had thought him resting, his blue eyes glittered sadly in the light of the fire. She smiled reassuringly; "I do too and I believe that are ok but Eru forgive the orcs if they come to harm." She frowned, something felt very wrong; she did not feel the stars protection anymore. Eruanna glanced up, there were no stars, nor was there any cloud. A feeling that something bad was about to happen stalked her mind and crawled like ice up her spine. Shaking it off, Eruanna snuck a look at Legolas; he had his back turned to her. Rising to her feet, Eruanna slipped behind a rock, and pulled a dagger from her belt. Dragging it down her palm, Eruanna grit her teeth, she had sworn to her friends never to do this again but here she was, calling out to her sister across the world, it was too late to turn back. She would find out the answers to the bad feelings that plagued her sleep, even if it meant losing her freedom, it would save those she cared about. It would save Middle earth.

She slipped away from the group and down the valley. A black mist surrounded her and subsided leaving a young woman standing in front of her. "Sister. You are risking much bringing me here" Tûrwethiel told her, stepping forward to embrace her sister in her arms. Eruanna reached for her dagger instinctive. "Always so full of suspicion" cooed Tûrwethiel. "I trusted you once sister" Eruanna reminded her. "I know, what happened to that faith?" her sister asked. "We wanted different things" Eruanna said simply. Her sisters blazed red eyes softened for a moment then the cool steely hate returned. "You chose to serve a king who has scared you in so many ways and i chose to be free" Tûrwethiel snapped. "You killed an innocent man" Eruanna retorted. "You've killed thousands of innocent people... and not just men, women and children to and for what, a place of power and respect" Tûrwethiel snarled back. "I never asked to become the heir to the throne. You decided that when you betrayed me" Eraunna said softly. "You stole my birthright. You want a favor i can never give you" Tûrwethiel said icily. "I want to know how to forget how to be afraid not to gain your forgiveness, i gave up a long time ago with that" Eruanna spat. "Your afraid little sister? Of what?" Tûrwethiel questioned smugly. "The fate of our kin" Eruanna sighed. "You mean the ring has been recovered" Tûrwethiel inquired. "It is out of your reach is that is what you had hoped" Eruanna informed her. "Fear is inescapable but it is conquerable" Her sister told her. "How?" she asked. "That is for you to work out. You where the rational and logical one once Eruanna, you work it out" Tûrwethiel hissed before letting the smoke claim her once again. "Tûrwethiel wait" Eruanna whispered but her sister was gone.

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Thank you so very much for the kind reviews so far they have been more than helpful!  
Next Chapter to be uploaded soon.


	16. Chapter 16

Eruanna was awake before Legolas shook her gently, thinking she was asleep. "We have to go now" he said. "Do we have to? I was quite happy here" she mumbled. "Is she going to join us or are we going to have to wait for her to regain _her_ strength" Gimli demanded. Eruanna's eyes snapped open. She wasn't going to let a dwarf better her, looking at her hand it had been bandaged as she had slept. She looked at the elf; he smiled, but did not ask questions. She knew what they thought. They thought she was consolidating with her king, telling him all she knew, she had heard them talking earlier. "She's betraying us" Gimli had decided. "She wouldn't do that, she's just not adjusting well that is all" Legolas had snapped, though he seemed doubtful of himself. "Whatever she was doing and whatever you saw Legolas, we cannot trust her, her connections to those who would seek to rule over these lands are too great, I now you care for her but you have to put the lives of all before her selfish desires for power" Aragorn had told him. "She does not want power" Legolas had hissed. "Then would you care to explain to me how her father who was king is murdered but she will not say who by when she knows exactly who" Aragorn had asked.

"I am not selfish" she told herself standing before walking over to the others. Legolas handed her some Lembas, she studied it before wolfing it down ravenously, the comforting warmth spreading through her body. "How far ahead are they?" Eruanna asked Aragorn. "The orcs did not stop last night, some leagues away yet, we shall not stop till we catch up now" the man answered. Eruanna scooped up her cloak from the ground, and fastened it round her neck. The landscape rolled on for miles and miles with no sign of any life. Reluctantly she followed the others who were already jogging down the hill, the sunrise was blood red and she heard Legolas mutter something, but heard not what he said.

Gimli was well behind; Eruanna glanced over her shoulder and slowed down to wait for him. She may not think much of most dwarfs but Gimli was an exception on occasion, they had been having a wordless completion between them, both had challenged the other to see how far they could run without stopping, so far she had already lost twice but it was down to her leg which seemed to not have fully repaired itself yet or she hoped it was. It was then she heard hoof beats. She frowned and glanced back to where Legolas and Aragorn had now stopped to check the skyline. Smoke in the distance set alarm bells ringing in her mind. Nearer though where the horses. "Men" she muttered grimly and Aragorn gave her a cold look. Up the hill came horses with riders, fully armoured and ready for battle. They retreated back up the slope and behind some rocks. The riders passed at great speed.  
To Eruanna's amazement, Aragorn began to move towards where the riders now circled. "What are you doing" she hissed. "Seeking aid" was the man's response. She looked at the two other companions who had also gotten up to follow. "Will you be coming Eruanna? Or will you be hiding behind a rock" Gimli remarked. Her blood boiled at the insult of the word coward and she scrambled out from behind the rock. "Mind they don't knock your head off dwarf, you do seem like the right height for them to not see you" she told him innocently. "Eruanna, that was uncalled for" Legolas scolded. "I was just being blunt" she answered coolly.

"Riders of rohan what news from the mark?" Aragorn called. Eruanna followed him, cautiously watching the horsemen. They were good people, but they hated her kin, Eruanna had been told as a young girl they would burn naira children in their beds if they got the chance and where not reliable folk. The horsemen swiftly circled them, lowering their spears. She felt like she had been caught between giant's sharp teeth there were so many and there was nowhere to run. Legolas pushed her behind him. "I can look after myself" She muttered indignantly, though if the story's where true it was better that she was not seen. All stories' had to come from somewhere. An arrogant voice broke her train of thoughts. "What business does an elf, a man and a dwarf, have in the riddemark, speak quickly." She peered out from behind Legolas's shoulder. The man who spoke was dressed in fine armour and bore a helmet of one of high status. "I wonder who he is" she mused; it was hard to observe a face that was covered by metal so she gave up and turned back to the conversation at hand.

"Give me your name horse master, and I will give you mine" Gimli said. Eruanna pulled up her hood concealing her face from the man's view, not that he had seen her but some of the other men were starting to look uneasy.  
"I would cut of you head dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground "the man said, Eruanna glowered at him from under the hood and reached for her blade, but Legolas spoke what she thought. "You would die before your stroke fell" he said almost snarling, "Only I get to threaten the dwarf" she thought cheerfully as the man backed away and ordered the spears to be tightened around them. "I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, this is Gimli son of Gloin and Legolas of the woodland realm" Aragorn said. The spears where getting far too close to her for her liking and she batted one away forgetting she was supposed to be staying hidden. "And who is this" the rohan male said coldly. Sighing, she lowered her hood and stepped out from behind her companions. "I am Eruanna from the house of Cultas and you must be a rat?" Eruanna said a cutting tone to her voice. "I am Eomer, king Théoden's nephew, and if you had any respect you would apologise now" Eomer spat. "I never apologise." Eruanna informed him smugly. "We are friends of Théoden, your king" Aragorn interrupted. "King Théoden no longer recognises friend from enemy, not even his own kin" Eomer said.

The man signalled for the spears to be raised and she sighed as the tension in the air lessened. "Pray what do you do in these lands with a naira in tow" he said mockingly. "We track a party of uraki across your lands, they have taken two of our friend's captive" Eruanna informed him tersely. Eomer looked at her with contempt but replied "the uraki were slaughtered during the night." Gimli spluttered "did you see two hobbits;" before Aragorn added "they would be small only children to your eyes." Eomer shook his head; "we left none alive, Im sorry, we burnt the carcasses" he pointed to smoke rising in the distance. "Dead" Gimli said. Eruanna frowned, the face of every rider reflected same thought "I never saw a hobbit." Eruanna thought this odd; if they were dead then someone surly killed them and carried them to the pile. By now the riders were leaving, two horses were brought to them. "May these horses bring you to better fortune then their former masters" Eomer said and with that he mounted his horse. "Look for your friends. Do not trust in hope, it is forsaken in these lands" he advised Aragorn, and then to his men "We ride north."

Eruanna mounted the horse on which Aragorn sat for Gimli could not ride. The man seemed wary but did not protest as she had expected and he held out his hand to help her up. Looking at her friends faces there was little hope in their eyes. "Please be alive, for Eru's sake please live" she prayed, gazing out to fangorn. Its dark leafy webs becoming clouded in smoke; cutting her off from that of her kin. They arrived late that day and began frantically searching the ground surrounding the pyre to no avail. She watched the smouldering pile of orc, the stench was almost unbearable. Her home was so nearby, the city of her kind that protected the banished from all who would seek to exact harm upon them... Maybe she should slip away. It would be a welcome release from the nights of uneasy sleep, not knowing whether she would have her throat cut by her companions was unbreakable. At least she knew it was likely when her company where of her own kind. After a moment's thought she decided against it, she could not leave them, more to the point she was beginning to trust them and she was enjoying it. Aragorn was looking for signs that they were alive, already she gazed at the trees; they called to her, their limbs beckoning, inviting her within the safety of the forest; calling her to embrace the darkness once more.

There were many tales told of fangorn yet few were true, her people lived quietly and out of prying eyes of mortals and immortals alike, the only real bloodshed was that of rival groups battling with one another and it usually ended with both sides being executed. There were no real laws save those which the king felt inclined to enforce every so often and when stray folk form distant lands did come creeping round their territory, they showed them what happened to strays that crept to far from home. There was one rule that most abided by no matter what it was that they were not to look for trouble for it would come to them; this she knew was a good idea but paid no attention to it, it was a small release from the chains of living in an elevated role. The party stood looking fearfully into the forest, its blackness called to her, beckoning her into its encysting depths. Gimli called it madness to enter. Smiling to herself Eruanna strode forward, glancing back she called to them; "Are you going to stand there like wet saps or are you coming to find the hobbits?" They needed little more encouragement and plunged into the darkness after her.

What seemed like hours passed and Eruanna wondered if Aragorn had lost the tracks, she let her mind wonder to when she was a child, such adventures would have been exciting but now, battle worn, scarred in body and in soul, Eruanna knew differently- this was a matter of life or death. This was a realm of monsters and magic. Of tyrants and slave dealers. It was also a land of people with military decent borne to worship the nobility and serve and protect their king with heart and body. It was the one place she should never go back to. Legolas's voice dragged her back to the present. "You can hear the trees speak to one another, soft voices in the air" he breathed. "It is magic Legolas. Just as you desired to see when we first met" she said, running her hands along the bark of a broken tree. "Such memory under these trees" he murmured appreciatively. "What do trees have to talk about?" Gimli complained. "You would be surprised master dwarf." Eruanna muttered; glad that one of the company appreciated the beauty of her home however temporary it had been.

"Aragorn, nad no ennas" Legolas hissed. Eruanna looked up grabbing her sword, hoping it was not one of her kind. "Man cenich?" Aragorn asked. "The white wizard approaches" Legolas said softly. Wizard was a word her people loathed with all their hearts, though she had little quarrel with them save minor disagreement regarding morality. They drew their weapons ready to strike.

A light shone before them and from it a voice came from it, Legolas released his arrow but it flew away into the trees, Aragorn dropped his sword and Gimli's axe splintered. "You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits, the passed this way the day before yesterday" the voice said. Eruanna knew that voice; her heart stopped cold, "Show yourself!" Aragorn commanded, the light faded. "Gandalf" gasped Aragorn, disbelief written upon his face. "You're supposed to be dead" Eruanna blurted before being rewarded with a shocked looks from her friends. "Forgive me. I mistook you for Saruman" Legolas said, kneeling. Gimli copied him and bowed his head. She drew a withered breath. She had only just begun to earn the trust of her companions and the wizard would interfere. They trusted her judgment and so had the wizard at times but never had they trusted in her behaviour and they had every right not to but she could not help wanting them to accept her. Her younger self would have laughed at this desire and called her a fool and a dependant. Her younger self was gone and had been foolish and in its place was something exiting and different. Her companions would not trust her or trust her while she had ties to her uncle and the other noble houses for she could feed them information of the war. It was time to undo those ties.


	17. Chapter 17

Gandalf's tales had always been long, but it seemed an age before he had finished, when the story was over however she felt something she had never felt before. It was a kind of admiration for the trials he had faced for one small hobbits success. More to the point she began to understand that the stories she knew about others could be just stories.

They were to go to Edoras. Eruanna loathed the halls of Edoras though she had only ever seen it from afar, they reminded her of her father's palace only less grand and smaller, she was thought of as a princess then, only she had been a prisoner, a slave to her fathers will, blind to his faults. Only now she was free and she loved it that way. "Am I free though? I am a servant to a war lord king. My uncle has taken my father's place and things seem no better." She asked herself. "Perhaps I will not me missed for a few hours… I could pay my beloved family a visit and find out how my kin fare" she mused. She watched the smiles on her companion's faces and she decided that a few hours was little sacrifice on her part. The halflings where in no imminent danger now from what the wizard had said and she would not be missed too much. It would be an interesting test to see if they would wait for her. She began to slip out of sight before Aragorn called to her to remain with them. "I will be back within a few hours, you needn't wait for me, I have something to sort out" Eruanna replied, smiling gleefully as she heard Gimli mutter "Of all the selfish, stubborn and untrusting people in this world she has got to be the worst"

The great grey stone walls of the citadel where easy to find if you knew where to look. Two cinerary towers loomed above her and she ducked out of sight of the guards. She ran along the outside of the wall till she came to a small grassy patch and searched for the passage entrance. On finding the trapdoor she wriggled down into the tight corridor that lead to the castle dungeons. Being the kings most trusted guard had its perks like full access to the city maps and she had memorised them all in detail. Screams and bellows came from high above. She slipped up into the cellar that joined the prisons and donned on the uniform of her regiment. Her brother would be easy to find if she could find out which taverns he hadn't been banned from. Her uncle and younger sister now turned aunt and recent queen would be more difficult to talk to. The soldier guarding the cells gave her a respectful nod and turned back to his duties. "They see the uniform but not the person who wears it" Eruanna thought sadly. Through the stone halls she wandered before reaching the courtroom door. "You cannot go in. Court is in session" A guard told her mechanically. She sighed and lent on a corner stone mulling over all that she could do. She could kill him. She could smash his skull against the rock and reclaim the throne I the name of her father. Yet it was not her uncle who had killed her father as she had led so many to believe. That throne was a burden placed upon any who sat upon it. She could take it and rule her people as her father had wanted. It had never been what she had wanted, he had often convinced her it was but a crown limited freedom and the passions of the everyday people whom she had more interest in. If you happened to be of noble blood you believed that everyone owed you everything, it was why so many of the ancient houses where dying. They strayed beyond safety and where slaughtered by those who disagreed with them.

After an hour of waiting she began to tire of patience. "Would you tell the king I am come?" She asked of the guard. Once again he refused to allow her to see her uncle. Then a wicked thought entered her mind. "Do you know who I am boy? I am the captain of the kings most trusted guard. I demand that you let me speak with the king or I shall have you and all your relatives put to death" Eruanna threatened. His face went pale beneath his helmet and he nodded, "I will do what I can captain" he mumbled before entering the council chamber. She listened closely at the door. "There is a soldier here to see you my king" came the guards' voice. "Who are they? What is there name" commanded what seemed to be her uncle. "She never gave a name" came the response of the guard. "What did this guard look like?" asked the king. "She was of plain appearance my lord, not very beautiful at all, she wears the uniform of the elite and claims to be the captain thought the captain has been missing for an age" the guard informed him. "Send her in. I want to hear what she has to say" the king commanded. Eruanna raised the hood on her cloak. "He wants to see you now" The guard told her once he had returned. She stepped into the grand marble room and walked across it, letting her boots muddy the intercut pearl flooring. "Lower you hood and tell me what you came here to say" The king commanded. She lowered her hood. "Hello uncle. Have you missed me?"

There was utter silence. "You. You are dead. I saw to it that you and your brother would never come back here" her uncle hissed after a very long time. "No. You saw that I was given a high position in the army before cursing me to suffer titles I do not want so that I would find my duties hard to complete and you saw my brother marry the richest woman you could find so that you could whore your way around the entire population. You did not get rid of me, uncle, you merely lost me" she said calmly. "What do you want?" he said, his scarred face gong pale. "I want my curse to end. I want you to accept my full resignation from court. I want my inherence my father left me and I want no more part in this world." She answered. "What madness has driven you to give up all of your titles? You will be cut off from all you love if you do this" the king told her. "I have found people I can grow to love and trust. It only dawned on me this morning. I do not love you. I do not love these hellish laws. I do not love not being able to trust in anyone but myself. I will retain my post as captain of the guard but I will no longer attend court as your niece only as your advisor in military affairs." She snapped. "You will never go home to Termoree" he added coyly. A sting of anguish filled her heart. "Take it back. Take it back" Screamed her head. "I don't care" she whispered. Her uncle raised an eyebrow. "Eruanna, eighteenth daughter of Amreral. I hereby proclaim you an outcast of the nobility. You shall serve under my name but receive no favours or kind words. You are no longer my bloodline. You will no longer make claim to any house that you used to belong to. You may take with you from this court all that you own but no more. You will forever be banished from the lands of you birth and shunned by all those you hold dear" He announced. "I hope you are happy" he spat. "It is my choice" Eruanna muttered. "My lord…" Interrupted a plump advisor on his left. "What Mavore?" the king groaned. "What are we to do with her marriage to the house of elras? She cannot marry a noble man for she is no longer nobility" Mavore asked. "Tell them that my niece is a harlot and is no longer welcome in my courts. Tell them that the wedding is off I do not care" Bellowed the king. The man shrank in his chair and Eruanna turned and sauntered out of the room.

"You will never go back to your home lands. You will never go back to you homelands. Eruanna you fool you fool" She scolded as she wandered back thought the trees. "What were you thinking? They will not trust you because you have no connection with fewer kings. Go back and beg forgiveness" she told herself, turning around. "No, I will not bow to him" she spat turning round again. "But what about your life in Termoree?" she asked to herself. "What life. I had no life. I only had war" she answered softly. "Here. I have a future" she decided. She doubted that they would have waited, she had been longer than intended but to her utter amazement they sat waiting for her return. She listened closely to what was being said. "She will have run off back to her uncle" Gimli grumbled. "I said from the start that we should not have let her come" Gandalf added. "We do not know what her business is" Aragorn argued, "If she where to betray us, do you not think we would be dead by now?" "You may be right Aragorn though I see very little in her that is willing to help" Gandalf countered. "She wanted to help find Merry and Pippin. She stayed with us after the fellowship broke. If those are the actions of a traitor then I would consider others motives for being here to be self-centred too" Legolas interjected. "I am certain she doesn't trust us" Gimli complained. "Why don't you ask her when she arrives" Legolas snapped. "I might do, or I might tie her up and leave her here for her people do deal with" Gimli said impatiently. Eruanna stepped out from behind the tree. "You could just forgive me for my faults and move on" she told him. The dwarf flared furiously at her. "As for whether or not I trust you… No, but I am trying to, as I hope you will try and trust me" she told him. "Perhaps you should start by telling us where you have been" Gandalf concluded. With some difficulty, she explained what her business was and why she had done it. "Well" Gimli said as she finished, "I never expected that." "Now that the small matter of issues in our group has been somewhat resolved we have a more pressing matter. We are to go to Théoden with all speed" Gandalf told them, "Quickly now, it is no short distance."

Soon they were upon their horses, Eruanna smiled gratefully at Gandalf, for he had taken the dwarf on his horse, she sat in front of Legolas, wrapped securely into his chest. It was not that she did not like Aragorn; in fact he had grown on her since she had heard him arguing her case but she knew how uneasy she made him feel and those feelings where often mutual. The elf however seemed delighted with the outcome of Aragorn's refusal to allow her back onto his horse. He took every opportunity to sneak a kiss on her neck, she was quite aware that the others could be watching, but for some reason she did not care anymore.

After they had ridden well into the night Gandalf called to halt. Legolas climbed nimbly of the horse and helped her down. Her decent was less graceful than his as she felt sadly sore from her legs being stuck found the horses belly for much of the day. The moon was behind the clouds but it was full, the stars where growing dimmer every day as the evil began to grow in strength. Eruanna glanced round no one was watching, she slipped down into the undergrowth, out of sight, she was not sure if she wanted to trust them so much as to let them know every secret she held dear.

A full moon every hundred revealed her race into their true form, each form was different and many would parade round this night showing off what they believed to be true beauty, she never had enjoyed such things her true form was her secret. Leaning against a rock she waited, looking up at the black sky, dotted with stars like tiny firefly's, the moon began to slide from behind the cloud, the tingling ran over her body. Eruanna began to take deep breaths as pain seared through her back, and the tips of her wings tore out from her shoulders, she raised her palm to her face, it glowed golden in the moonlight, her hair grew down to her waist, the wings where now fully formed and she wrapped them round her body, the soft grey feathers hiding her from view, her gums burned as they pushed the sharp points of her teeth out. Eruanna crawled to a pool of water and gazed at the imp like reflection, her guts twisted in revulsion at the sight and she retched up a mixture of blood and lembas.

Shakily she stood, Legolas was calling to her and she backed away into the bushes and watched him slide into view. "Should I show him?" Eruanna questioned herself." Is it worth it?" She saw him frown and scan the area before going to the water's edge. "Eruanna" he hissed. She began to back away further but she was still unused to the extra limbs and she tripped sending the bushes into a frantic dance. His head snapped up and he began to edge closer. "Eruanna is that you?" he asked. "Don't move" she said softly. "It's ok… I'm not going to" he told her, raising his hands up to reassure her. "You know those stories I told you about my kind and moonlight?" she asked. "Yes." "Well they aren't stories" she continued. She heard a sharp intake of breath. "Can I see?" he asked after a moment. "Promise me you won't hate me" she pleaded. "I swear on my honour mellemin" he replied creeping closer. She crawled out from the bushes and knelt on the grass in front of him. "So… This is what you really look like" Legolas breathed. "You're not scared of me" Eruanna asked. "No, "The elf replied "should i be?" Eruanna blushed and wrapped her arms around herself, shaking her head. "I knew that this could happen, elves of mirkwood are learned of your kin or have you forgotten the alliance between our races" Legolas said, "I did not dare dream that it would." "You think I like looking like this" Eruanna hissed softly, "it is a curse from Melkor for betraying him, a reminder that we were created by him this form is everything wrong with my kind and I cannot be rid of it." He touched her cheek gently, "I meant no offence. I thought that you would never trust me enough to show me" he sighed. "Why would I not trust you?" she mumbled, kissing his fingers as they ran across her lips. "I do not share your judgment" he answered. "No… Alas you do not" Eruanna agreed. "But I have you heart?" he inquired. "You have my heart and for all my lack of trust, my heart is willing to learn" she answered. "Then I shall teach you how to trust your instincts first" he declared, pulling her to her feet. "I think you are mad" she giggled after he had explained his lesson. "I am madly in love with you" he agreed.

The moon went once more behind the clouds and Eruanna felt her form change once more. "Has anyone told you how perfect you are" Legolas murmured in her ear. "No… I am as plain as plain can be" she retorted. "Whoever said that is the most foolish thing alive" he snorted. "You know… you just insulted your father's judgment" she giggled. "Oh… I shall be having stern words with him." Legolas said grinning. "Why my beloved, he only speaks the truth" Eruanna teased, kissing him playfully. "No one insults my treasure and calls her plain, for she is more beautiful to me than all the stars" he answered. "You make me sound like I am not" she complained. "I only speak of what my eyes see" he replied, kissing her nose delightedly. "Your king will call you a fool" she told him. "I am a fool for not telling you of my affections earlier" he muttered. Eruanna then remembered Mavore's words. "What shall we do with the engagement?" "Legolas… I missed something out earlier when I was explaining where I had been" she said softly. "What did you miss out" he asked absentmindedly. "I was to be married to a prince belonging to another house" she mumbled guiltily. Legolas froze. "What?" he asked. "You heard me. I was going to be married this year to another" she repeated. "He can't have you. You're mine" Legolas growled, tightening his grip on her waist. "Not yet I'm not" she reminded him, disentangling herself from his embrace and heading back to the rest of the group.

Legolas

"Not yet im not" she told him, grinning before sauntering off to the others. "I wish you were" he muttered, then perhaps you would not tease me so with the prospect of leaving." He watched her for a while, how had she not thought to mention a prior engagement? Was it still going to go ahead? "No. I will not allow it" he thought. He would just have to beat the other suitor to it, he decided. The only problem was…how?


	18. Chapter 18

Eruanna stirred from her sleep feeling strangely jubilant, dawn had long gone and the sun fast approached mid-morning. Legolas was absent from her side, but she had expected as much, he was an elf after all and most elves here morning folk. Climbing up the slope she heard Aragorn telling Gimli to hurry up. Legolas was tacking up the horses and Gandalf as always, watched smoking on his pie. "You planning on forgetting me" Eruanna asked. Aragorn looked over "no, but you where resting and we thought it was a shame to wake you so early." Eruanna nodded though she suspected that it was more than just a gesture of kindness that they had left her to rest, creeping over to Legolas, she snuck a kiss on his cheek. "Morning" she said cheerily. "You're in a good mood" he answered. "The sun is shining and the birds are _not_ singing. This may be a very good day" she told him, throwing a saddle over Aragorn's horse. She looked up at his smiling face, "What? Am I not allowed to be cheerful sometimes" she demanded. "You are ridiculous" he laughed, "Why?" she asked curiously. "One moment we are all doomed the next it is a wonderful day, where have you taken my miserable Eruanna who I know so well, you must be an imposter for sure" the elf chuckled. "It is a good day to die upon" Eruanna said shamelessly. "There, I see you have returned her" the elf replied cheerily. "I am mealy glad that I am now my own master and no longer as you put it earlier this year: a piece in my king's army" she informed him. "Ah, so you are celebrating your freedom" Legolas replied playfully. She grinned at him, and let him lift her onto his horse before climbing up himself.

The day dragged on they rode for miles with not a sight of life save an occasional timid rabbit. They stopped late afternoon to let the horses rest and to stretch their legs before setting off once more. In the early evening just as dusk had settled down upon the sky, Gandalf slowed shadowfax to a walk then halted altogether. In the distance, rising out of the earth like a beacon stood Edoras, in the grey twilight it seemed to glimmer like many jewels in candle light. "There is edoras, and Théoden whose mind had been overthrown. Be careful what you say. DO not look for welcome here" Gandalf educated them before urging the white stallion onwards.  
"Time to face another king" Eruanna muttered, "No harm will come to you" Legolas promised. "It's not me I'm worried about" she replied. Edoras had never called to her kind to visit so they never had, but it looked from a distance welcoming. As they drew nearer however, her stomach turned to lead; it was deathly silent save the sound off the wind in the flags and the crows and ravens calling overhead. Eruanna gritted her teeth, trying to ignore the way they sat and glared at her. She felt an arm circle her waist and she tried to relax before flinching as one of the birds dived overhead. "Bloody birds" she cursed.

Dismounting, she took in the scenery ar glance, it was mostly thatched roofed houses, surrounding a grander building, "so that is the famous golden hall of medowsil" Eruanna thought, "it is an odd place to keep a king. So plain in its appearance." Her companions also dismounted, and she silently followed, watching the dark shapes on the battlements with unease. At the topic the steps of the great hall, a man stood waiting, Eruanna raised her eyebrow, why where all the men of rohan tall and blonde or something of that variation? "So… my friend's stories are not always wrong" she thought amused. They passed houses of whose inhabitants where sullen and grim faced. "You'll find more cheer in a graveyard" Gimli commented. At the top of the steps several guards joined the man in waiting for them. When they arrived at the doors to the hall, she was surprised not to be met with the same cold indifference they had received from the guard who had opened the gate. There was instead an air of formal respect for the wizard in the man who they were now faced with." I cannot permit you before the king so armed, by order of, Grima wormtongue" the man stated. "If he thinks I will willingly hand over my weapons to him, he is dreaming" Eruanna whispered into Legolas's ear, the elf smirked, "then I suggest you hide them, my lady" he whispered back. Eruanna sighed, she did not wish to be left behind, nor did she wish to give up her weapons to a stranger, it was bad enough giving them to a friend. She watched the others give their weapons up, "it can't be that hard" she thought, slowly she removing her sword from her waist, then her quiver and bow and reluctantly handed them to the guards. "Fools, you should not trust me" Eruanna thought smugly. She had still the numerous daggers hidden under her clothing.

The great hall almost lived up to its name, it was beautifully built. The pillars had eccentric designs carved into them, as did most of the walls. In the centre there was a small fire burning down to nothing. At the far end sat a withered man on a throne. "How quickly men fade" she thought. It was then she noticed the eyes of men staring at them with curiosity, at her with pure unadulterated hatred, she shifted closer to Gimli who was nearest to where she now stood. "Late is the hour at which this wizard chooses to appear, dark spell I name him, ill news and ill guest" hissed a voice, Eruanna's eyes set with fire, he was still in alive, why was he still in alive? He should not be. His punishment had been execution by order of her king for whispering cold words into a wizard's ear, yet here he stood amongst kings and like a sovereign he himself acted. Wrath hissed up her body, clinging to her, hate, that she never knew she had begun to boil and fill her with contempt. "Control yourself" she thought.

Eruanna began to feel unaware of her surroundings, she had to fight the urges to seize Grima by the throat and tear out his soul. She fought with them as Gandalf argued with the king. She heard the cawing of the rooks and the rage inside built up future threating to brim and wash over everything in the room.

She then became aware of a shadow creeping up behind, spinning to face him, she saw horror on his face, then agony as her hand clamped round his throat and squeeze firmly, his spine crunched under her grip, and she let him fall to the floor. The raucous was over already, the other men who had attacked her company as Gandalf had battled Saruman's control over Théoden lay out on the floor but the grim face of the young man stared up at her, the unseeing eyes gazing at her with odium. "Just like my father did" she found herself mutter before clamping her bloodied hand over her mouth. The others where following the king out but she did not wish to see Grima's fate, he had an uncanny way of escaping it. So she stood, staring in mixed feeling of shock awe at the neck of the man she had killed, the bone poked out through the flesh leaving a halo of red swimming round his head his head, bruises covered the pale skin. Eruanna turned away, feeling sick, she knew she was capable of killing a man with her bare hands but this was beyond what she had thought she would ever do. She had promised never to do it again, not after the little girl… another part of her still revelled in the sight, delighted in his suffering but that part was somewhere she never wanted to go. It would make her like all other naira.

Wiping the blood on the tunic of the corpse she went to see if the worm had escaped justice. He was crawling down the steps begging for forgiveness. "I have only wished to serve you" he grovelled. "I'm sure you have" Eruanna muttered sarcastically. Théoden raised his blade to smite him but the blow never fell. The king had been stopped by the ranger. "No my lord, enough blood has been split on his account" Aragorn argued, holding the king back. "This could get messy" she warned her comrades, who glanced worriedly at her. Thankfully, Théoden lowered the blade. "Get out of my sight" he spat at Grima who reluctantly staggered to his feet and ran away, bellowing orders at the gathering townsfolk. "All hail the king," yelled the townsfolk kneeling before their king. The court followed, leaving those who did not belong to the race of men standing alone.

From the gates there rode a darkened horse. Its rider hooded and cloaked in deep purple. It halted at the bottom of the steps. "Who are you? State you business in rohan" Théoden ordered. "I am here to speak with my sister. My name is Devae" replied the rider lowering his hood. "Devae?" Eruanna breathed, why had her brother come so far from the city? Surly he had women to chase and ale to drink? "Eruanna, sister, I need to speak with you" he called up to her sternly. "You never said you had a brother" Legolas whispered. "Twin. Twin brother" she corrected. She hurried down the steps as her brother beckoned to a nearby servant who came over nervously. "Take my horse to your stables. I want him well cared for. I will fetch him when my business has finished" he instructed, "Eruanna. Tell you elf friend this is a private conversation." She glanced to se Legolas preparing to follow. She shook her head at him and followed her brother away from the hall.

"I have had some troubling news from our uncle" Devae began. "I will save you your words… It is all true" she interrupted. Her brother studied her, his sand colour hair reflecting in the moonlight. He was everything she was not, handsome, charming and charismatic. Born within moments of one another they could not have been more different. "Our uncle" he continued before she interrupted again, "Your uncle" she insisted. "Our uncle is furious; he is threatening to have you hung for treason. I love you dear sister and we have lost so many of our family already I cannot lose you too" Devae persisted. "He does know that handing me won't work" Eruanna snorted. "Apparently not" he replied curtly. "Sister, I do not know what has swayed you but you had everything and you have thrown it away." "I didn't have someone who loved me" she snapped. "I loved you" he sighed. "As a brother" she reminded him, "though our father would have had it to be more than that if I hadn't dealt with it." Her brother shivered in revulsion. "How's our sister?" she asked, "You mean the queen?" her brother remarked. She nodded. "Well I believe she is regretting her marriage which we both told her she would" Devae informed her. "It was a good match" Eruanna mused. "In the eyes of the subjects but marrying family members so close in blood?" her brother questioned. "It is not uncommon and you know it." She hissed. "What about you, sister? Are you planning on wedding that elf?" her brother pried, "or are you still not the marrying kind?" "How?" she started. "I saw the way he looked at you and you at him" he explained. She felt her cheeks glow and saw her brothers hard features break into a smirk. "So, the great Eruanna has a weakness and it is in the form of a pointy eared tree lover" he mused. "Will you marry him then?" "To marry is to sacrifice what I my freedom, the thing I love most, to chain myself to another and never be allowed to leave, but to marry _him _would be to make it bearable. He would be mine and mine alone and no one else could take that from me" she sighed. "Come home sister, we all miss you, your comrades need a captain and your family needs their protector." "I can't" she whispered, looking down at her feet to avoid the bright red feline eyes. "You would leave us to the kings' mercy? You were the only thing that tempered his wrath, the only thing he dared not cross and now you have abandoned us, I thought you better than that" her brother snarled. "We were orphaned because of him, left to fend for ourselves because of him. We do not have a family because of his war" he ranted. "It was a common occurrence for children to loose family and it still is, most of us suffered similar fates or have you forgotten that Devae?" She said icily.

Her brother glowered at her before screaming in anger. She recoiled away instinctively. "You've changed sister" he sighed. "You haven't" she muttered. Her brother smiled weakly at her. "What about Termoree? You have banished us to a life here by leaving the courts" he enquired. "I may be denounced from those courts but I am of noble blood and blood is blood. I will do what needs to be done but in my own way and in my own time. I don't see anyone else trying to go home" she reprimanded. "Would you ask if there is room for me tonight, I have had a long journey" her brother said. "No. I will not have you following me around" she sighed, leaving him standing open mouthed in the cold night.

It was a relief to leave him behind, she loved him as any sister should but he was a liability and was likely to cause trouble. Across the hall her companions sat discussing the events of the day. "Mind if I join you?" she asked wearily. "Be our guest" Aragorn answered and she slumped down on the bench, exhausted. A serving girl brought over some food. "What did he want to talk with you about" Gandalf enquired. She looked up broth the broth she had been picking at with distain. "He wanted to remind me of where my loyalties should be" the answered, wrinkling her nose in disgust at the bitter tasting food. "And what did you tell him" Gimli interjected. "I told him he could stick his words where the sun doesn't sine" she muttered bitterly. "I bet he loved that" Aragorn chuckled. "Oh, he was very amused by it. In fact he was so amused he smashed a hole into the side of someone's house" Eruanna answered cheerily. "He also wanted a bed for the night but I turned him away" she added. "You turned you brother away?" Legolas asked. "He would have only caused trouble. I would now I have to share a barracks with him when I am training" she argued. "What kind of trouble?" Gimli asked curiously. "Every kind of trouble" she sighed. She let her eyes wander around the room until they rested on a pale girl who held fire in her eyes. "Who's that?" she asked. "Eowyn" Aragorn answered. "A relative of the kings?" she mused. It seemed tomorrow would be interesting.

Legolas

When her brother had arrived he had thought she would be stolen from him. He had not guessed him to be her relation. He had seen the fair hair that curled about his face and the strong muscles and presumed him to be her betrothed come to drag her back to the city. It had been undeniably a relief when heard he was merely her brother. "Is your heart troubling you again elf" Gimli asked once the others were occupied with other tasks. "No Gimli. It has been better of late" he answered carelessly. "Is that because she returns you affections" the dwarf inquired, "or is it merely that no one else has hers." Startled Legolas glanced at the dwarf before turning his gaze back to the two naira down below who were locked in furious argument. "If I tell you, you must not breathe a word of this to anyone Gimli" he told the dwarf. "I will say nothing" the dwarf promised. "I did as you suggested" he informed him, the dwarf looked at him for an explanation. "She returns my feelings" Legolas explained, folding his arms. "So what is worrying you?" asked the dwarf. "She was to marry another and I do not know whether that is really her brother, she had made no mention of having one before today" Legolas informed him. "You think that could be the one she was meant to wed?" Gimli said sceptically. He gave a small nod and turned his gaze back to where Eruanna was standing. "Perhaps you should ask her to marry you?" he Gimli told him. "I do not think it wise." The elf muttered darkly. Gimli glared at him, "Why not? I advised you to something before and it made you happier, why not risk it again" "She does not see marriage as a joyous thing and never has." Legolas said miserably. "What does she see it as?" the dwarf questioned. "A cage that would strip her of all freedom and joy" he answered softly. "Yet she would be yours and no one could take that away. She may see it differently if it is you she is to marry" the dwarf, "I want that more than anything" Legolas breathed. "Then you should risk it" Gimli advised, following his gaze to the pair below. They both watched as the pair shrieked insults in their own tongue. "What are they saying?" Gimli asked. "I believe she's calling him a fool and he is calling her twice the fool he is" Legolas answered. "Then it is settled. They are siblings" his friend decided walking off to find some food.

"_Be careful little brother, she is more dangerous than you can possibly imagine" Selwyn warned him. Legolas paid no attention and proceeded to tear round the room at top speed. "I don't care." He giggled as his older brother scooped him up in his arms. "She likes me. She knows lots of fun games and can turn dandelions into butterflies" the little elfling chirped. "But when she is all grown up she will not play games and she will have to go to war, she will not turn plants into butterflies but people into ash" the older elf sighed. Legolas looked up at his older brother, "She doesn't have to go does she? She could stay here and be with us forever? Please say she will please Selwyn" he begged. He saw the sad grey eyes of his brother looking down at him. "Little leaf, you know she is nothing like us, one day you will see that she was born to destroy and we were born to protect. What would she do if she where to stay here?" Legolas looked down at his feet miserably, "She's not like the stories. She wouldn't hurt us" he whimpered. "She wouldn't mean to hurt us but she might little leaf" his brother said soothingly. "Why does she have to go away and fight, she will come back and I will still be her friend wont I?" he asked his brother. "All naira have to fight, it's what gives them a purpose to life, without it they are lost, she will grow up and ride off to war, you will not recognise her when she returns" Selwyn explained. "Selwyn…" "Yes Legolas?" "Why doesn't she have a mama like us?" "Her mother was killed during a war, not very long ago" Selwyn explained patently. "If our mama died would ada be nasty to us?" Legolas asked thoughtfully. "No, little leaf, what makes you say such awful things?" Selwyn scolded. "Eruanna said that after her mama went away her ada became very angry and often breaks things when someone mentions her. She said he calls her and her siblings names and can't bear to look at them" "He is just upset little leaf and she is too, soon they will move on and get a new mama when he remarries" Selwyn explained. Legolas beamed up at his brother. His clever grown up brother who understood everything, when he had reached his fiftieth year, he discovered exactly what his father would do if his mother died and even his clever grown up brother who understood everything was not there to comfort his little brother because it was his father who needed it the most. _"But he understands nothing" Legolas told himself. He did not understand that it had been her who had been there when his mother had been killed. Her who had held his hand through the long nights. Her who had curled up beside him so he did not feel so alone, who had made him laugh when he wanted to weep with her tuneless songs that had been so badly sung that even the worst bards would have scorned it. All of which she had done with no request for gratitude. He watched her now sitting on the bench. She had seen her family torn apart and had survived so many battles and never once demanded of anyone for their loyalty or faith in her. She smiled at him from under the mop of hair and winked her knowing wink that told him "Don't worry about me. I've had worse". He had to agree with Gimli. No one in middle earth was as headstrong as her and someday it would get the better of her.


	19. Chapter 19

Eruanna groaned with boredom, two days ago she knew she would hate Edoras but now she grew tired of it. Most of all she was lonely; she had become too accustomed to being with others that she had forgotten herself, basking in new feelings that she had never experienced before and never wanted to forget. Once this was over she would be a traitor, a murderer and an exile all over again those feelings would be scars upon her heart. Even Legolas would forget her. The stars seemed dull and cheerless and all their beauty was faded from them;" I never thought losing someone you love would hurt" she contemplated out loud. "It does, I would know" answered Legolas sat beside her on the steps, "and I could never leave you" he continued. Eruanna smiled, "you say that now, but what happens when I become the wicked girl you once witnessed slaughter blameless people, the one who would kill her family for a place somewhere where I cannot be harmed, what then? You would leave me and you would be right to do so, I'm dangerous, a trained killer with a thirst for blood, no matter what, that instinct is in my blood" Eruanna whispered before adding "You do not know loss as I do. "You forget I lost my mother" he reminded her, ignoring her other remark about him leaving. "So did I…" she muttered. She saw the pain flash in his eyes. "I'm sorry Legolas I didn't mean it like that" she said as he moved away from her. Taking his hand in hers she scooted up next to him and rested her head on his shoulder hoping he would forgive her. He wrapped an arm round her waist and she smiled at him. "Do you miss her? Your mother do you miss her still" he asked. "I miss her every day" she admitted. "I still haven't forgiven you" he said as she began to get comfortable. "I don't care. I'm cold" she giggled.

Her eyes set on a moth floating past in the crisp breeze. Legolas was silent for a minute, then he said " I swear on my honour I will never leave you, you want others to trust you? Start trusting yourself." "I hate it when you are clever with me" she complained. "Shhh, I'm thinking" he whispered. "About what?" "Something Gimli said when your brother arrived" Legolas answered. "My brother?" she enquired. "Are you close as siblings?" the elf questioned. "Yes, we have our fights and our extensive disagreements but we have never let them come between us." "Does he approve of me?" Legolas probed. "He had not said anything on the matter" she lied. "I do not believe that" he muttered, kissing her cheek. He seemed hesitant and kept looking as if he wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words or wasn't sure she would like them. After a few more moments he stood and began to walk away, "Where do you think you're doing?" she called after him. "I hear there is a spot here where you can see a bright and beautiful star that can only be seen at one day of the year" he answered, darting up the hill. "Elves" she cursed, struggling to her feet and following him, her curiosity wetted buy the impish look that had filled his eyes. Somehow she beat him to the highest point of Edoras and scanned the sky; there was no difference from where she had been before. She looked back down to where he stood smiling up at her a picture of virtue. "I see no star" she told him. "I can see it, and she is so very lovely" he answered coming up the hill to join her, wrapping his arms round her waist. "Where?" she demanded. "Im holding her now" he whispered softly. She beamed at him, "I see you are a romantic" she giggled, "But you made me walk all this way for nothing so you can carry me down." "Not for nothing" he told her taking her hand in his; he lent in and kissed her softly. "I want you to lo listen to me and say nothing till I have finished, can you do that" he asked. Eruanna looked at him in confusion, calmly he lent in and kissed her again, "I promise" she sighed. "Eruanna, I love you, I cannot bear to think that we should be parted." He began. She felt her stomach knot. She knew what this was and she didn't know if she wanted to hear it. "Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" There it was: the one question that she had dreaded to hear, yet from him it was a bitter sweetness and her heart wept for the injustice of being asked it. Her mind told her what she had told herself over and over; she would lose her freedom, but her heart told her that her freedom was less significant to her. "Will you give me some time?" she asked. He smiled and nodded, "You can have as long as you want, and I know you did not want to hear it." "Then why ask?" she muttered. "There is no future without risks." "You would have me as your wife above all others who could love you far better than me" she questioned. "I would have you to be my wife or have no wife at all. Everyone may call me mad but I will answer that they are fools to not see how perfect she really is" he replied, caressing her cheek and kissing her hand.

Oh, if only her head and heart did not battle and did not hate the others desires. Any other maiden with the same feelings would not even consider it refusing him. "My heart wants it but my head will never allow it" she thought. He kissed her again and she could feel how much he wanted her to say yes but still her mind refused to obey her heart. She tried to form the words but no words came out. Why, why was he so patent with her when such a reaction to a good natured question deserved nothing but loathing. Her head began to weigh out what could and could not be. She could have a safe and protected life free from and harm again. She could not walk away from it and change everything within a heartbeat. There would be many who opposed it, we would be disgusted and ashamed to know her. It would be a chance to be free of her king. She would be with someone who would not damage her and cast her aside when he was weary of her. "It is wrong. Our kinds should not mix" her head screamed. "There is no future without risks" her heart begged. "There is no future for you without excitement and passion now" her head agreed sullenly. "What merry chains they shall be" her heart sang gleefully. She lent up and kissed him deeply. "Is that a yes?" he murmured. "Yes… on one condition…" she answered. "I thought marriage was unconditional" he sighed. "You will like it." "Very well." "My family are not invited to the wedding" Eruanna demanded. "I think I can live with that" he chuckled. He lent in and kissed her fervently. "Legolas…" she breathed. "Hmm." "I think there is a star that is brighter than the rest" she replied, kissing his jaw as he glanced out over the plains. "So there is" he said, pulling her into his chest.

**Legolas**

Elation was all he felt as he held her in his arms. A euphoria that swam around him dizzily and sored like a phoenix up upon the air, disbelief was all he felt next, he had presumed she would decline for the panic that had spread across her brow had been more than clear. He would have held her for eternity but she began to protest bitterly about the cold and how hungry she was so he let her slip from his grasp and hurry away down the hill to the great hall. He set out to follow but was stopped by a figure still hooded and cloaked in purple. "Congratulations" Devae drawled, leaning causally on a tree as if there was nothing better he could do. "I pray you make my sister happy, I would hate to see her upset." "I will do all I can" Legolas replied uneasily. "My sister deserves a life of luxury, not one living in a grimy forest with people who she cannot converse with" the naira continued. "She knows some of our tongue and I can teach her the rest." Devae shook his head, and began to square up to him. "I don't want to lose another of my family for whatever reason" he spat. "Then you will be glad that you are not going to lose her" Legolas argued. "I will not come first" answered the naira. "No but she will love you no less." Devae looked him up and down. "I wish you all the luck in this godforsaken land. You will need it, she will not stay forever" he spat and vanished in a cloud of blackness.

There was a commotion coming from the great hall, shaking of the unease Devae had placed upon him Legolas went to investigate. "What's going on?" Legolas asked Aragorn. "Eruanna is insulting the king" was the response from the man. "I am the king" Théoden roared from across the table in front of them. "And I do not bow to kings" Eruanna hurled back. "We were discussing whether it was safer to travel to helms deep and she just swanned in here and told him that it was a ridiculous idea to move everyone to a fortress" Aragorn explained. Eruanna was leaning back studying the map with an innocent expression playing across her face as rohans kind bellowed out every insult he could think of. Once he had done she looked up at him with steely determination. "If you want your people to be massacred then take them to a fort with only one way out. We will be expected to go there seeing as you failed to kill your advisor" she answered icily. "What would you know of such matters" Théoden shouted. "Just the small matter of six hundred and fifty battles that I have fought in, three hundred and seventy of which involved forts and nine of them of a similar design to yours" Eruanna snapped. "Should we intervene?" Gimli inquired. "Give it five minutes and she will let him get on with evacuating the city" Legolas answered.

Five minutes later and she sat with her feet up on the table sipping the king's wine as they planned the evacuation. She behaved as if the prior argument never happened and flicked threw maps after map of the keep, studying each one in great detail. Legolas pulled up a seat next to her to see what she was puzzling on. "Your brother seems delightful" he whispered in her ear. She froze mid sip of her drink before spitting the wine back into the goblet. "He's still here?" she hissed. "Yes… I was wrong about one thing, there are more selfish people in middle earth than you" he muttered. "What did he want" he asked. "He tried to make me change my mind about you." He watched her close her eyes in frustration, "Well, that was more than expected." "You think he will try and break us apart" he asked. "No, he knows what I would do to him if he did" she replied. "What" Legolas questioned. "I'd kill him" she mumbled darkly before throwing the maps on the table grabbing her dagger and stalking out.

**Eruanna  
**

She burst out of the golden hall; anger seething round her bloodstream. Her brother had no right to follow her here. He had no right to spoil her plans. "Up here." She looked up to the rooftop to see her brother standing over her. "Have you come to lord over your immense stupidity" she snapped. "My dear sister; come up here, you wound me with such harsh words" he laughed. Reluctantly she scrambled up the side of the hall and stood beside him on the roof. "I could push you off here right now and they would think you jumped sister" he warned. "I could do the same to you" Eruanna reminded him. Her brother grinned at her. "I'm happy for you sister." "You have an odd way of showing it" she muttered. "What will we do when all the wars have finished and there is no place for us?" Devae asked. "There never was a place for us but we have always gotten by and we always will" Eruanna told him. Her brother smiled weakly. "I suppose you heard about my wife when you visited court." He inquired. "No, what's happened?" she queried. "She left me." She couldn't say she was surprised. "I think I loved her Eruanna and she's gone, I don't want the same to happen to you" he continued. "If she left you then she wasn't right for you. I would gladly sacrifice myself for Legolas but if he would not do the same then we are not to be" she advised him. "Little sister, sometimes I wonder how after all you have seen and done you can still see the best in others" Devae expressed. "I do not see the best in myself" she argued. "Yet you are the best of our kind and have suffered the least" her brother countered. "I suffered the least because I did not carry on a path of self-destruction" Eruanna sighed. "You speak of magic when you speak of destruction. You are famed for using a blade rather than your tongue to fight." "You know what happens when we use magic, blood is drawn and if it is not the balance of the world shifts and dark thinks are born from it" she chided. "So, you would murder a man with cold steel but not with hot fire" he asked. "I like to look into people's eyes to see what they feel as they die. Magic is a coward's tool to an easy end" she told him. "If you insist, I would warn you to watch your back sister but you will not listen… the king is watching your every move. You are strong will Eruanna and have been from the day you were born, you know what your heart wants and they fear that. Promise me little sister you will tread carefully" Devae begged. "I cannot promise you anything" she told him. He remained quiet and continued to watch the sun rising above the skyline. "Your king will want to see you are well" she said softly. "Take care sister" and with that he was finally gone.

* * *

Thank you all so much for the support and reviews so far, there is still a long way to go and I really appreciate the wonderful comments!


	20. Chapter 20

Eruanna stood on the wall of the fortress, her palms rested on the cool stone. The wind was raising itself into a cold breeze, and it brushed her hair out of her face. She did not know what she was watching for. Aragorn was dead. She wasn't watching for him. Mortal life was to short, Eruanna had come to terms with than, and rarely grieved for a mortal, if she did it would be for a short time, she saw no need in wasting tears on such a thing, mortal life was a candle, eventually burnt out, or snuffed out by an enemy. Aragorn was no different to any other mortal, at least in her eyes. Eruanna growled in frustration, a passing guard flinched and hurried on. Scanning the horizon again, she caught a sent, inhaling she smiled. One of her own kin, whether or not that was who she waited for, Eruanna did not care, it was a comfort, to know that she was not the only outcast in middle earth. _"Be careful little sister. The king will try and trap you"_

"Where are you, I'm waiting, Come on, I want to leave this wall" Eruanna muttered, her patience was wearing thin. She had stood her ground on the wall since Legolas and Gimli had arrived back, nearly seven hours before. In the distance a figure emerged, riding a horse. Smiling Eruanna watched the figure approach. It was near enough to see that the figure was female, and carpintorlee.  
Eruanna wondered whether or not to scare the guards by leaping off the wall to greet the stranger, but thought better of it; after all it wasn't worth making them feel insignificant. Yet. Now the figure was close enough to see her features. Eruanna grinned. Time to meet the "stranger" she ran down the steps to the gate. "Open the gate" Eruanna ordered the guard. "Why my lady, the king has ordered us not to" one of them replied. Eruanna turned on him, "because if you don't I will kill you, slowly and intimately, in every way I know." Eruanna let her fang slip into view and smiled coldly at the guard, whose face was as white as frost on an already snow covered mountain. "Y y yes, my lady" "thank you" Eruanna gave him a sweet smile, and slipped through the crack in the gate.

"Well, Well, Well, Elrénia I didn't think you would come crawling back to me for help" Eruanna chuckled "or is it that the mighty Elrénia, needs help from me, the Traitor" The carpintorlee snarled, slipped off her horse. "First of all this was not my idea. Second you know perfectly well why I am queen and you are not, Traitor" Eruanna felt her stomach twist. "You call me traitor, yet I do not see what I did wrong, other than to put love above hate" Eruanna whispered. "Oh, it doesn't know, well I shall tell you." Elrénia said, the malice in her voice was clear. "First of all, you Eruanna, where sworn to protect our race" she said. "Your race" Eruanna snarled. "my race, your race what does it matter" Elrénia said, "then you fall in love, which is acceptable on all accounts, but when we go to war, you must forget that, you were leading that army, remember. Every. Single. One of those troops died, because of you. You abandoned them, to save your lover, they trusted you, needed you, and were where you. In rivendell sitting by an elfs bedside. Funny thing is you had lead them to the battle then in the middle of it you crept away, they needed orders, but you had fled, because you had more important things, than the lives of your own people, and here you are, at helms deep, with thousands depending on you. You're not fit to lead a dog on a walk, let alone an army" Elrénia spat the last words. Eruanna sighed "you know not of that day, yes I left them to die, yes I was scared, but you don't know my past Elrénia if you did, you wouldn't speak to me thus, you would cower in fear, shall i give you a taste of it: Blood walls with blood spayed up them, floors so deep in blood that you had to swim through it. I murdered just for the hell of it, I murdered new born babes in front of their mothers, drank their blood and there're their limp corpse to the ground, then I would kill the mother, and any other children, pin all the corpses to a cross, hack off their heads with a saw, and put them on a stake, then I stuck the stake through the limp body of its owner. Guess what I did then, I hung each of them above the door. For the father to find when he returned. You want to know why. It was fun, so don't tell me that I am a coward, I left them because I never want to be that girl again, the monster parents told their children about at night, then find me upon their door with an axe." Elrénia look slightly less smug and very pale. "I never wanted to fight another battle after the last war of the ring." Eruanna said softly. "While the mortals claim that it was their doing that Mordor fell, I was the real reason, without me sauron would have known all their weaknesses. I slit my own father throat so he would not. You know the legends, of you kind aiding sauron. It's all true. But because of me he are free from his grasp, you know what I was, The High princess of all carpintorlee's, yet what princess, leaves her people to die." Eruanna asked. Elrénia replied "a brave one, if it were to save countless others from a worse fate" Eruanna sighed "your here for a purpose, not just to talk" Elrénia nodded "the council has lifted your banishment, therefore you have you rightful position back, as you said it is one with great responsibility, we require you to return immediate." Eruanna shook her head "for such words I am grateful, but i cannot leave, these people need me, I have a life now, a good one, one that i cannot toss aside as if it does not matter," Elrénia smiled "as you wish princess, but know this, you are welcome home any time, and we pray it is sooner than later, our fortress in fangorn is still strong, but we cannot hold it forever, our strength wains and we soon, like elves must leave to our own lands, middle earth is not given to us, it is lent" With that she rode off.

Standing in the door of helms deep, Eruanna knew her life would never become what it had been, she had been a mess, Her father had seen to that, he had told her only purpose in life was to kill, and like a child she had believed it. Only now she was not a child, she had friends who cared for her, she had a lover who would die for her, if she asked him to, and she had all she wanted. Yet she missed her own kin, even though she was Valkarie and they were not she was so much like them, they would always be her kin, despite their slight differences. That was the one thing she had not got a normal female life. Eruanna was happy with this, most females in any race had little thought of them, they had to stay at home and have children, cook dinner for their husbands, be weak and defenceless, not like carpintorlee's, the women did the fighting too they worked harder than men, trained harder, even their children could fight better than any mortal man. Eruanna was known in her realm as undefeatable, no one knew why "It's because of my father, he made me train all day and all night, no food or water or rest, It's because I'm not a normal carpintorlee, I'm a Valkarie, no living creature can kill a Valkarie, nor any dead one, only love can kill a Valkarie, with a blade of cold diamond, a Valkarie lover can only kill a Valkarie. Legolas is the only one who can kill me" Eruanna thought.

"Eruanna, come inside its getting dark" the soft voice of Legolas whispered in her ear. Eruanna gazed out at the darkening sky "I keep wondering, if this is the last time we will see the sun, if she will go to bed and never rise again, it can't be long now" Eruanna whispered. Legolas sighed "you must not think that, there is hope yet" he slipped his arms round her waist and kissed her neck. Eruanna let her eyes slip close, relaxing into the loose embrace of her betrothed. "Come on, it's growing cold" The elf pestered, releasing her and turning her to face him, smiling. Eruanna forced a smile, but too much was going through her mind to pay attention to him. Legolas sensed this. "forget you troubles, mellonin, just for tonight, come, you need rest, and by the sadness in your eyes, my attention" Eruanna smiled "do you really wish for me to do that, forget myself a little for tonight" Legolas nodded, "make it an early birthday gift" he said, playfully. Eruanna smile widened, "I'll try, but I fear a shall not forget completely" "I couldn't ask any more" Legolas said kissing her gently.

Eruanna let Legolas lead her away, she glanced back at the darkening sky, knowing that soon there would be no time to rest, no time for any to drop their cares, no time at all


	21. Chapter 21

"He's alive" people where explaining. "Who?" Eruanna asked the nearest woman. "Lord Aragorn" she answered delightedly. "So; the man is harder to kill then most" she mused. She stepped away from the gathering crowds and climbed up the steps to see a grim tired face seated upon a horse. "Here is he. I'll kill him" Gimli bellowed. "Good luck with that dwarf that man is invisible now" she called to him. The man smiled faintly at her. "I see you are still your welcoming self" Aragorn answered. "Where is the king?" he said to Gimli. The dwarf shrugged so he turned to her, "the king is in the keep along with his advisors, I believe they are working out how to make the food last the duration of the war" she informed him. She had never seen anyone move so fast. He was up the steps within moments and curiously she followed. Legolas stood in front of the doors to the keep. "Le abdollen" he said before looking his friends up and down and adding; "You look terrible." He handed Aragon the pendant Arwen had given him and the orc had stolen. "I told you him was alive" Legolas scolded her. "I never doubled you" she lied. Both of them gave her a sceptical glance before bursting into laughter. The man then flung open the doors to the keep where Théoden stood ordering others round him to prepare goods; "We have a problem." The man told him. The king looked weary at him. "There is an army headed for us."

Watching behind a stone column, Eruanna watched Aragorn arguing with Théoden. An army of uraki were coming from Isengard. They all seemed so scared, an army was no small matter to defeat, if you knew how but they were ill experienced in these situations and hadn't asked her advice yet. Even Legolas looked afraid but he hid it well. She rested her forehead against the cool stone, trying to drown out the voices. "Insensitive gits, they could tune their voices down a little but no, they forget about me and what I might want" Eruanna thought, exhaustion in helms deep was causing fights to break out everywhere, and she was tiring of them at first they had been amusing then a small nuance but now they were causing her grief and giving her a headache. She wanted to run away, anywhere, even the black tower would be better than this hall at that moment. "Shut up, Shut up" she whispered. Looking up they were still arguing. "Oh for Eru's sake, shut up, this won't help, standing here is not going to defend rohans people but fighting will, stop arguing and start preparing for war" she heard the words slip from her lips as soon as they had left, she clamped her hand over her mouth. Everyone stopped and turned on her. "That is what we are deciding, we don't need your help" Théoden snapped back. "Clearly not, I'll leave you to die then" Eruanna smirked "you don't need to decide. You need to act, there is no choice in this; they will hunt us down and kill us if we do not fight" Eruanna continued, knowing it was going through so many people's minds but they dare not speak it. "And what would a woman know of this matter" Théoden spat. "Naira, what would this naira know, I grew up on the frontline of battle. Never have I seen a day where there has been peace and you dare to ask what do I know" Eruanna hissed, her friends prepared themselves to restrain her as she advanced on the king. "You act as if you have seen the world and know everything there is to know but you do not know what is best for my people. You stand there judging us but never doing anything to ask" Théoden cruised, "you did not and I have my own troubles to worry about" Eruanna replied coldly. "What would you do?" asked Théoden curiously. "I would listen to Aragorn" Eruanna advised "and stop questioning the naira traitor." With that she let herself transform into smoke, and disappear.

The fortress looked so small and insignificant from so far above. The rocks where almost swathed in cloud. She could have climbed higher if she had wished but she could hear the cat calls of crows roosting and daren't at such a height risk another attack. She sat down on the ledge watching the pinpricks of men wandering around the fort. They seemed so lost and unsure of themselves. Death was so certain for many of them. High up in the rocks she could watch the battle and never be harmed. It would be what most of her kin would do but she felt inclined to join in so long as the king did not give her orders. She had served so many kings she grew tired of their complaints their ignorance to the lives of others and the effects their wars eventually had. Once you had met one you had met them all. She held out her hand and watched it change from a solid form to grey smoke and back to flesh. Magic was a dangerous game to play but it could be a necessary evil to defend those she loved. Even if it met sacrificing her own life to save theirs. The clouds rumbled readily. "Remember child. When it rains on a battle it means you are in for a surprise" her father had told her. It was of course a silly story to scare her. A black feather fluttered down into her lap. She picked it up and held it between her thumb and forefinger. In naira folk law it was told that a bird the colour of a starless night would visit when something evil was to applier and it would carry away all the souls that died in battle. "I am not a coward" Eruanna spat, throwing the silken thing over the edge of the rock and digging her nails into her wrist in an attempt to distract herself from the sounds overhead then the owner of the feather landed within a foot away from her. She shuffled backwards and pressed herself against the sharp rocks. "Get away from me" she hissed. The bird looked at her with eyes that screamed: you cannot escape me; we are the same. "No. We can never be alike" she spat, wrapping her arms tightly round her legs. The animal crowed again and she could feel her mind shutting down. "No. I am not afraid of what I did" she sobbed as the bird fluttered onto her lap. It cawed louder and its companions joined in. All emotion slipped away and she felt no pain as she drew blood. She only saw the black creatures swarming up into the air then a darkness of the mind calmed her. _She stood in a meadow with a small lamb beside her. Her mother had given her it to care for and the small creature followed her round on its tiny legs wherever she went. She ran through the grass, trailing her small fingers over the flowers and the little sheep skipped after her. She stopped at the side of a small stream to watch the trout skim the surface of the water for flies and saw her father's reflection on the opposite bank. Upon his shoulder sat a crow. "Papa… Look what mama gave me" she giggled as the lamb bleated and bounded over to her. She cuddled it and her father smiled grimly. He held out his hand and she waded across the stream. The lamb bleated, trapped on the other side. Her father raised his arm and the crow descended upon the wailing animal to rip it apart in its beak. There lay innocence dead upon the soaked grass and there was childhood seeping into the earth. The crow stared up at her from the bones of what incorruptibility should have been. She looked up at her father but he was not there. "You will always follow me my daughter" the crow squawked fluttering away leaving the tattered remains of blind youth in its wake._

She awoke cold and shaken. It was late in the day and she could see the fort bustling with activity. There were no black devils haunting her only the cold reality of her vision. She mustered up her strength and turned her body to a small bird before sailing down on the breeze. She grinned as men trained all around her, readying themselves for war. "You look like you're in your element" Legolas said and she sauntered past ordering nearby solders to pick up the pace. She jumped and turned around walking backwards so she could take in all that was going on. "This is more like it! She exclaimed snatching an apple from a nearby basket and biting into it. "We might need that" the elf pointed out as she threw it over the wall. "Nonsense. Today is an excellent day to die upon and it is pointless letting anyone think otherwise" she scolded. "Where have you been all morning, I began to think you had left us?" he asked. "I went for a climb and was attacked by some friendly crows" she answered cheerily. The elf took her by the hand to stop her tripping down some steps. "Are you ok? You didn't have another attack and bang your head… what happened to you wrists?" he asked in a tirade of questions. "I'm fine Legolas" she lied, kissing his cheek and hurrying away.

As the daylight faded tensions began to rise. People began to say goodbye to one another as the night grew darker. "Well. I could be back at home. I could be a princess, an heir to the throne of Termoree but my inheritance has become to me like a lion in the forest; she has roared against me; therefore I have come to hate her. Is my inheritance like a speckled bird of prey to me? Are the birds of prey against her on every side? I think so" she contemplated as she watched the young daughters kiss their fathers for what would be the last time, "Yet I cannot deny the alluring power it has." Aragorn startled her by storming out of the armoury; his eyes filled with anger. "Aragorn?" she called after him. "Stay away from me Eruanna. I don't want your cold words" Aragorn snapped. She felt a sting of hurt but pushed it away. She slipped into the armoury where it was far too quite. "Legolas… Will you help me with this armour" she asked. He nodded and began strapping her into it. "I fear we will not last the night" the elf muttered suddenly. "If that is true then all we have ever dreamed would have been for nothing" she answered. "What do you dream about mellemin" he asked. "I dream of a life beyond war, where there is no horror and death, I dream of a life with you were I am accepted for who I am and not what I am" she said quietly, glancing over at the dwarf to make sure he was not eavesdropping. Gimli was occupied with choosing some chainmail so hadn't even noticed her presence. "Then we had both better live till the end of this war" Legolas murmured. "What do you dream of Legolas" she asked after a few moments. "You" he whispered in her ear before going back to buckling up the armour. "I was being serious" she laughed. "So was I" he informed her. "There. I see a smile on your pretty lips and you are not so grim now" he told her lightly kissing her cheek. "We will not die tonight, we have survived this far because of our friendships and faith in one another and it should not fail us now" She said as he finished fitting her into the heavy metal. "I did not believe in Aragorn's judgment earlier and I offended him" the elf sighed. "Then perhaps it would be wise apologise?" she advised. "Something you are good at Eruanna" he answered sarcastically. She glowered at him and he smiled gently, "You know I love you and I mean it in the best possible way" he said, kissing her briefly before going in search of the man.

"Promise me something lass" Gimli asked. "Promise me you won't break his heart." "Promise me something Gimli. Don't ever ask me to make a promise that I may not keep…I promise I do not intend to break his heart but it is likely that I will. He knows the risks that come with loving me" Eruanna retorted. "Then that is a promise I will accept" remarked the dwarf. She picked up her weapons from the bench and went out into the night.


	22. Chapter 22

As the dream faded, she chased it, forlornly as a child does when a parent disappears in a crowd and they cannot see which way to go. The dream of a life in Termoree was ending. They were all going to die. Three hundred men, one elf, one dwarf and a naira, where not enough to fight an army of ten thousand. All optimism had faded from Eruanna's heart. Eternal optimism was for the children below their feet in the caves. High on the battlements she stared out into the night. The small twinkle of torches would be seen in the distance. "Oh what I would give for a dragon to ride upon like my kin of old" she muttered. The torches approached and the men made ready for war, then there was a sound that no orc would ever make. It was pure and clear. It was a welcome sound. Through the gates marched a good number of elves. She watched with interest at the wonder on the men's faces. She scrutinised the leaders face and knew it to be a close friend. Down the strains she flew until the host was but a breath away. Her companions had beaten her too it and where expressing all manner of gratitude. "We have fought alongside men before but never the race of the naira. It is more than an honour to fight with you mellonin" Haldir told her. "I return that feeling with all my heart. I began to feel we were alone" she confessed, placing her hand on her heart in respect. "They will be here soon, it seems we must change our plans" Théoden said softly. It was growing dark and the air smelt like rain. "Then we had better start now" Aragorn answered leading the way up to the hall.

"I never expected you to come here" Eruanna told Haldir as they hurried their way to the keep. "Where else would I be?" he asked curiously. "I had a dream and you were no longer here for you had sailed and gone across the sea" she answered. "What else happened in this dream?" "There was fire across the lands and so much darkness and sorrow. My people where fighting alongside everyone else but we were losing. I saw our enemy and on his hand there was a ring. I saw middle earth fall and the evil spread across the sea to my homelands and valanor" she said calmly. "This does not trouble you?" the elf asked. "No. I was already dead and gone, I saw myself visit the grave of my father and from it a raven the size of an eagle rose and it ripped me to pieces, then I saw its wings cover the world in darkness and ruin before it too died" "What does that mean?" Haldir inquired. "I don't know. The future can change based on the choices of all. I believe it means if my head rules my heart for eternity then I will be conquered by me fears though I know it is not all of what it means" she replied sullenly. "Your heart is a strange thing to trust Eruanna" Haldir laughed. "Yet I have trusted it little and I have suffered for it" "You never told me who your heart belonged to" the marchwarden stated. "Use your eyes and you will see past all the deceit" she advised, "I never did like riddles" muttered the elf before following her into the small room.

They stood up on the battlements weapons at the ready. The tramp of boots in the distance delivered the verdict that it was about to begin. "You could have picked a better spot" Gimli grumbled. She heard Legolas snort with amusement but she saw no humour in the oncoming army. How many fire bolts could she shoot before it became too much and sacrifices where needed? One? Two? Three… maybe four? How many spells and incantations where there to defend her friends and herself. What would be the cost of it all? She felt a hand lip into hers and squeeze it tightly. "You have nothing to fear. Your skills in combat are to be desired by many" Legolas murmured. "It is not my skill with a blade I am contemplating" she answered, turning her eyes back to the lights like the eyes of a cold ghost. "If her skills are to be desired I bet she cannot beat me in combat, nor will you for that matter" grunted the dwarf to Legolas. "Oh. You bet do you dwarf. If we both make it through the night I and Legolas and I have less kills than you, I shall grant a chest of gold that even my king will desire" Eruanna retorted. "Then it is settled. Let the best dwarf win" Gimli chortled turning back to the oncoming storm. How many blows would it take to cut through the armour? How long could they keep them out the fort? Five? Six? Seven…eight hours? The cold wrath grew closer. Legolas released her hand and drew an arrow to his bow along with the other archers. She raised her hand watching the burning blue flame spiral down her arm. "Hold" Aragorn ordered. "What's happening out there" Gimli asked. "Would you like me to describe it to you…or would you like me to find you a box" Legolas answered. She grinned at the dwarf. "It seems I am not the only one to taunt you about your height now Gimli" she chuckled, wiping the sweat off her face. The flame on her arm died out and she forced it to rekindle. "That's cheating" Gimli exclaimed. "Is not" she argued. The orcs stood before them in a number too large to even contemplate. An arrow from one of the men's bows flew through the air. The battle had begun. "Fire!" was the order. The flame poured down her hand and seared the charging orcs nearest turning them to ash. The corpses set alight others but the flames would not last. Arrows wailed past as she gritted her teeth and forced more flame this time up both arms. A nearby ladder went up in a large explosion. She smirked gleefully and began to shoot more flames at the oncoming enemy forgetting the cost for a moment. "Ladders!"

She drew her sword. Flame shot down the blade and it sank through the tough iron of the first orc. "Twenty-one" she muttered, hearing the dwarf bellowing out his new score. Orcs came running across the battlements and her blade met theirs with a fierce ire. She kicked the nearest orc to the ground and an elf drove his blade through the creature before in turn ending up on the knife of an orc. Quickly she back flipped onto the edge of the wall and checked the drop. It was a long way to fall; she shoved her knife into another orc who was attempting to climb a ladder as she decided what to do. "Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to interrupt" she said before pushing the creature off the wall. She was no use on a battlement where her magic would only harm a few. It was a risk she was willing to take. Her body ripped and changed and she flew out over the wall. Diving down on a rock before changing back. "Enfie" she commanded and the earth shook, great roots seizing unsuspecting orcs and dragging them into the earth.

**Legolas**

He searched for her desperately on the battlements but there was no sign of her. His bow whirled round and shot another orc as he fought his way across the battlements. The round shook and he almost fell backwards with the sudden force of it. He looked over the edge and saw the earth ripping open and a small portion of the army disappear before it closed up. She stood upon a raised rock fighting with all her strength but she would not hold them off forever. He shot at one who had made it to the top of the rock just as another earthquake shook the ground. This time water rose up and drowned the side of the fort washing away the ladders. The dwarf was fighting keenly on and Aragorn too. Suddenly there was a movement below. "Legolas. Shoot him down" Aragorn commanded. He turned his attention away from the naira and concentrated on the running torch. His arrows hit both times and he thought the creature dead until the wall nearby blew open. The rock where she had been swarmed with orcs and the momentary horror of the wall disintegrating was filled with a sickening punch in his stomach. Smoke suddenly spiralled around him as an arrow flew pas he ear and stopped in front of him before setting alight. The smoke cleared and she stood ablaze and filled with fury. "Behind you" he told her before wheeling round to shoot another orc. She threw a dagger into the skull of the creature and leaped further away slicing off the head of the nearest orc as she went.

**Gimli**

He lay in the water as orcs tramped over him, Aragorn called to him from above and he staggered to his feet as the man threw himself upon the orcs. Together they fought before he was forced to retreat up the steps. More arrows. Then Legolas came skating down the steps and he dived once more out of the way. "Bloody arrows" he cursed, rolling over to see ha flame shoot past his nose and scorch his beard "MIND THE BEARD" he bellowed, launching himself at more of the orcs. "Mark my word that naira will pay" he thought as the smell of singed hair met his nose.

**Aragorn**

Everything had been alright until the wall had exploded. They had successfully held the orcs from breaking the gates but now they were falling back to the keep. Haldir was above fighting tirelessly to aid them. Eruanna sored around in the air riding upon smoke diving at any orc who came to close. "Fall back" he ordered the elf and the order was echoed across the army. He saw Gimli being dragged by to elves one of them Legolas but it was the orc bringing his blade down on the marchwarden that he fought to get to. The elf collapsed in his arms and lay still. He felt his anger boil and he trust his blade wildly into the nearest orc running at others who dared to climb the wall. The battle was not yet over.

**Eruanna**

From up above she saw Haldir fall but there was nothing she could do. Not yet at least. Suddenly the doors to the keep burst open and riders flew out. She dived upon the orcs shooting all that she had left in her upon them. Today was indeed a good day to die. Then more riders appeared upon the horizon. "FOR THÉODEN" the screamed charging down the hill. At the front was Gandalf upon the white stallion shadowfax and the hope of all was renewed. She landed calmly on the wall before scanning the scenery for her friends, "they must be in the fortress" Eruanna thought, running along the wall in search of her fallen friend, she stumbled over a body of an Elf. She stopped a sick feeling in her stomach, she crouched shakily she reached out her hand and rested it on the elf's shoulder before pulling him over so his face was visible. "Haldir, why, no, this should not have happened, I saw your future, you where to valanor not die here" Eruanna whispered. "Please don't be dead" she said, testing his pulse, there was a faint flicker under her fingers he would not last much longer. Eruanna felt a tear run down her cheek and viciously wiped it away. "A naira doesn't cry" she told herself. She knew what to do, it could cost her life but she would try it anyway. She rested her hand on Haldir's chest. "Mandos will hate me but you shall not go to him, he shall not have you, you will not die today" she whispered. Then she began to chant "alamathe alamanthe, demanthae mandos narachen firhbadlen" quickly she sliced her palm and rested her hand on his chest again letting the blood seep into his armour, repeating the chant over and over.

For what seemed like infinity, Eruanna sat chanting, her nose began a violent stream of blood and then from Haldir's lips came a gasp. A desperate need for breath. Eruanna removed her hand from her friend's chest. "Told you, you wouldn't leave me" she whispered. Two men came towards her. "Help, I need help" Eruanna called. The men hurried over. " My friend he needs to be attended to, please take him inside bathe his wounds" Eruanna said, "but my lady, captain Haldir is dead" the man said sadly. "No" Eruanna replied. One of the men bent and felt Haldir's pulse. "She's right, he's alive" The other man looked surprised "but lord Aragorn was with him when he died" he informed his comrade. The other shook his head "he is alive now" he answered, surveying her suspiciously. "You should go get your wounds dressed too, my lady" he said. "I have no…" Eruanna began, "Then what is that gash on your hand. Go get yourself healed" the first man commanded. It was not worth the hassle so she saw Haldir carried inside, sat beside him and waited.

It was Aragorn who barged into the small room where they tended to Haldir first. "It cannot be true" he demanded before seeing her sitting by the makeshift bed, bathing the elf's forehead. "You brought him back?" he asked. She nodded once and turned back to bandaging the wounds. "He wasn't fully dead when I found him" she informed the man. Never before had he looked grateful towards her. "I thank you for sparing me this grief" he told her. "I did it more for myself than anyone else" she said out loud. The man frowned at her. She smiled but did not answer the question that now plagued his brow. Both the dwarf and elf burst in next. "We her you have been resurrecting the dead missy" Gimli chortled. "Not the dead. The nearly dead perhaps" she sighed. A soft groan game from Haldir's lips and she turned back to him. His eyes blinked open woozily and he let out a grunt of pain as he tried to sit up. "Lie still" she ordered and the elf reluctantly lay back down. "You look tired Eruanna. I will take over for now" Aragorn told her. She got to her feet and handed him the damp cloth. "He must not be allowed to sit up for another few hours" she instructed. The man nodded and she left Haldir in his care.

"You are not hurt?" she stopped and smiled at her betrothed's concerned tone. "Why should I be?" she asked. He came over to her and cupped her chin in his hand. "You just used rare and powerful magic and you did it without any damage, it doesn't seem likely." "One life saved on a battlefield when hundreds of other die will do very little to damage the balance of this earth" she told him. "It is not the balance of this earth I am concerned about" he sighed cradling her in his arms. "Well… I am a little tired and I have a horrific headache" she whispered. "Oh... well then im sure I can do something to rid one of those things" he murmured happily in her ear. Pain suddenly seared through her body and she let out cry of anguish and sank to the floor. She saw the courtroom of the palace and her brother standing in the center laughing and joking with a woman. The woman's face suddenly went cold and a silver dagger drove itself into Devae's gut. Guards dragged the woman away but the white marble was turning red as the courtiers gathered round the limp body of her brother. Overhead a small falcon sang merrily, a small squire attached a note to the messenger bird and it fluttered out the window and headed south to Rohan.

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What's happened to Eruanna's brother? Tell me what you think :)

Biblical reference that i cannot take credit for: Jeremiah 12:8

Translations:

mellonin- my friend

mellemim- my love

Enfie- Earth

alamathe alamanthe, demanthae mandos narachen firhbadlen- my god my god, to mandos i forbid him go.


	23. Chapter 23

**Legolas**

A falcon arrived late the next evening baring the news of the death of prince Devae. From his sister's lips no sound came, no scream or wail of grief. She sank to her knees and stared at the parchment with a look that showed little of her emotions other than disbelief. He held her now rocking her, trying to fill the empty space his death had filled with kind words and sympathy but it was doing very little. She had not uttered a word since the bird had appeared and he could not tell wheatear she was relieved or not that her brother was gone. She had sunk into herself and was not coming back. His friends studied him at a distance, talking in low voices as Gandalf told them of his plans. He caught her name a few times and she stirred in his arms at the recognition of it. The wizard walked calmly over. "It is time to move on" he told them and she snapped out of the emotionless state she had drifted. "It is almost dawn" she muttered, blinking away the tears that had suddenly sprung up in her eyes. "You don't have to be strong" Legolas told her but she shook her head and told him: "If I am not strong then what have I left." The wizard seemed reluctant to let her travel with them and something was upon the tip of his tongue. "I'm sorry for your loss" Théoden told her. She smiled at the king then but it was the closest she came to thanking him. The wizard finally spoke up.

"You have never told us much about your family have you…Eris." "That name is poison" she snarled, whirling round to face the wizard. "Yet it is your real name. I was not idle" answered the sorcerer. "No one calls her that anymore" she informed him. "No because no one knew that was her name" Gandalf answered, "Eris was the name she was born with. Eruanna was the name she chose and everyone used until Eris was forgotten." Gandalf said thoughtfully. "Eris died the day her father was killed; Eruanna watched and did nothing. Eris no longer exists in this world or any other. The only person to know her by that name is dead." Eruanna snapped, running away down the stone passages of the fort.

The wizard sighed and turned to leave. "We can't leave her. She belongs with us" the dwarf argued. "She lied about who she was. You do not know of the foul acts she has committed" the wizard answered, "I had my suspicions when Devae arrived in edoras. There was never any child born as a twin to him under the name of Eruanna but Eris was his sister. I enquired further and found all records of Eris had been destroyed in a fire and the only things remaining where orders and demands for her to be brought to justice and then I found nothing. She had simply disappeared and instead there where records of a different name placed where Eris's name should have been upon furniture and tapestry's her name had been scorched out and replaced with the name: Eruanna" the wizard explained. "That is no excuse to ignore all she has done in our company" Legolas argued. Aragorn was remaining silent. He watched but said nothing to interfere. "Aragorn. Tell them what you know" the wizard commanded. "Eris is a name that is feared through harad. From what knowledge I have she lead armies of naira to slaughter the innocent many years ago. This army was ruthless in every way. It is because of Eris the naira can never go home" Aragorn explained. "Eruanna is not Eris" Legolas retorted angrily. The dwarf gave him a sympathetic glance. "We shan't leave her here laddie" he assured him. He knew in his heart that it was true but he cared not for her past.

Eruanna

She screamed in anger and her fist smashed into an empty barrel sending shards of wood in all directions. Her past would not have come back to haunt her if Gandalf had not brought up that cursed name. "Your name is Eris?" She turned to see Legolas frowning at her. "Have I been in love with someone who has never existed?" She looked away ashamed. "You have been in love with me. I exist" she muttered. "You were born under a different name. It could be Eruanna who does not really exist" he replied. "No Legolas, No matter what I will always be Eruanna. My past has been dark and I am ashamed to think of it. Changing my name and severing all ties to those acts gave me some relief from the nightmares that followed. No matter what Eris will be a mask to hide from her true self. She died when my father did because I was free to be who I wanted to be. Please know that I had my reasons for not telling you" she explained, taking his hand in hers, he flinched away. "I don't know who you are" he answered, his face a picture of betrayal. "Then let me show you. If there is one thing I am certain of it is that I love you. Who you see now is who I am not some legendary warrior who they all consider wonderful because she lacks a conscience. Please let me show you" she begged, taking up his hand again he did not move away this time.

"I like the name Eris" he said thoughtfully. "I would rather you didn't call me it" she sighed. He smiled and kissed her, "Whatever you say Eris." She shoved him hard and he scowled at her. "Don't call me that" she snapped hoping that he would leave her be. "How did you keep your true name hidden from everyone for so long?" he asked tentatively taking up her hands again. "It is not my name. It belongs to someone without caring. Once that name has ceded to be used then it is forgotten. Most who knew Eris perished in battle along with her father and herself. Those who didn't met unfortunate ends… You remember that night don't you Legolas, when I killed that family. That was not me that was her. I loose myself when I follow orders, it's why I cannot stand kings because it is to them I often lose my will if I do not fight them, it is how my kind where made, it is our weakness, we are too afraid to stand up for ourselves so we do as we are told. There is a part of me who is still Eris and it will always be there but I know how to control it now." She began but he stopped her, wrapping her up in his arms. "I do not care who Eris was. You will always be Eruanna to me because that is who I loved and still love. My Eruanna is not afraid of disobeying orders or being stubborn. I know my Eruanna does not make decisions that are right but she will in time regret them. Once she was Eris but that was under her father's eyes. I saw a different person who wanted to break free of the expectations upon her shoulders. The others may think what they will but you are not Eris, you are my Eruanna and I love you dearly"

There was a lack of trust through the company towards her throughout the journey to fangorn but she knew she deserved every ounce of it. No one spoke because they did not know what they were to face. They set out across fangorn, tracing the paths and scars left by the orcs. It was true she had lied to everyone about her past. Eris had been according to the stories a great leader, a fierce warrior who was fearless and undefeatable in battle. She was also cruel and did not care who she killed and she killed for sport. Her loyalty to her father had been undivided and she would have defended him to the last breath she took and would have killed anyone who tried to harm her family. From stories many had called her beautiful and courted her but she would not let them near. Eris had been a charade put on by a frightened young woman with her life planned out for her. "Are you ok?" Gimli asked her from behind Legolas. "I'm fine Gimli" she answered, she put on her false smile to reassure him. "You have just lost your brother" Aragorn interjected. Those words where a blow to the chest and she closed her eyes to force them out of her mind. "I traded his life for a friend's. If my plan had worked as it should it would have been me not him but there are still plans for me" she muttered. "You did what?" Legolas asked, his tone suddenly becoming shrill. "It is of no matter. To fix the balance of the world one life must be traded for another. I had hoped that because Haldir had not yet died that requirement would be a few days of sickness but it was not to be. As she said this she felt like she was betraying her brother. He had died because she could not stand to lose another friend. Now she would live with the loss of another sibling.

_"__See your hand built ships burn away  
Fire cleft the skies like dragon flame  
See a friend of Eru sail away  
Look into the mist, look into the sky  
Now it's__win__or lose, it's live or die  
See a friend of Eru praise the skies_

As winter past the flaming sky  
Our strength will carry us to heights  
See the raven fly far away  
The skies were so dark, the  
winds were so cold  
Our banners will rise in rage we will go  
See a friend of Eru sail away

Stand in front of your destiny  
Stand in front of your life

The sun sets forever the gods set me free  
I'll share with you eternity  
You can open your eyes  
The land of Termoree  
The land of the free

The journey is far to desolate seas  
A learning in life, wait you will see  
And let the stars guide you home  
A black dawn is fading in whispering tunes  
See the edge of the world,  
the shades of the moon  
See a friend of Eru praise the sky

We sail across the seas  
The winds will take us home  
A distant summer breeze  
Will calm the storm  
As thunder breaks the sky  
The air fills our sails  
Our dragon ships will fly  
Over the oceans that wail  
To our beloved home.  
Our home Termoree"

Eruanna sang softly, it was the only song she could sing with some tune and it alarmed her everyone else was so quiet, so she sang to herself to fill the empty void of inside her heart that was usually occupied by other people laughter. To those who had heard the tales about the wood they had every right to be afraid but Eruanna knew altogether too well that fangorn was not to be feared unless your blood was warm...

The horse's hooves made a comforting sound as the song had moments earlier, it reminded her of Rivendell, where horses hooves were common songs. There was a faint amount of light in the distance, "that must be the way out" Eomer said suddenly and spurred on his horse. Reluctantly she followed glancing in the direction of her city. She could visit her brother's grave but there was little point. She hoped the hobbits they had set out to retrieved had not been harmed. It would not do to hear about their pain or suffering so soon after a battle but they would have to wait and find out when they arrived at the tower. "Welcome, my lords to Isengard" a familiar voice said interrupting her stream of thought.

There were many smiles and much delighted laughter. Eruanna allowed herself a brief, fleeting smile, and then her face fell back to its usual, grim, expressionless self. How anyone could love her face was a mystery to her. She glanced uneasily round, they were far too close to her people's territory, something that could have them all burnt to a crisp in the next second if they were seen. Not that any one of her people would mean it, not really. Eruanna shook her head; if naira had a fault that stood out amongst the others it was their possessive, protectiveness of any tiny thing that was their own. Including their large forest and fortress. "Could we possibly leave now, we came and we have seen, I don't want to spoil the day but the war is not yet won and we would all like to live that long" Eruanna muttered, more to herself than to anyone else. "No, Eruanna, we still have work here to do" Gandalf replied coldly, he still bared the grudge against her for letting her other name slip more heavily than the rest. Eruanna glared at him angrily. "There is a wizard to deal with, locked in his tower" he said, ignoring the glare that was in his direction and rode out towards the tower, which rose out of the ground like a hand seeking to destroy all in its path.

Once below the tower, the company halted. Eruanna looked round, trying not to breathe in the stench of orc than threatened to strangle her. Ents moved around them tirelessly, "Young master Gandalf, I knew you would come" a voice said from nearby. Eruanna cocked her head on one side; she knew that voice well enough to guess it name. "Treebeard" Gandalf replied in acknowledgement to Treebeard's greeting. She glanced at the end suspicion clinging to her like cobwebs; it seemed two hobbits where capable of stirring an entire forest and convincing the Ents to fight when all her kin had failed at it.

"You have lived through many wars and slain many men, Théoden king, and made peace afterwards, can we not have peace as we once did?" A cold, sneering voice echoed round the ruined walls. Eruanna snarled as bile rose in her throat. Her lips curling back over her now-extended fangs. Legolas reached over and touched her arm gently, "easy, we need him alive" he whispered, she stopped snarling but still dug her nails into the leather saddle. This wizard was venom not easily drawn from a wound. To his remark Théoden answered: "we shall have peace when you answer to the burning of the west fold, and the children that lie dead there, we shall have peace when the lives of the solders whose body's where hewn even as the lay dead against the hornberg, are avenged, when you hang from a gibbet, for the sport of your own crows, we shall have peace" The wizard on the top of the tower smirked before turning on her. "You have come a long way to die, Termoreean" Saruman sneered. Eruanna's hand curled tightly round the hilt of her sword. "Who say's I'm the one who will die today" Eruanna replied coldly. "Who are you to say where I might die, naira. My master tells me you cannot be the daughter of Amreral, a warrior princess of old; they are all dead. A naira named Eris slaughtered them all." Eruanna smiled sweetly up at him "I am the eighteenth daughter_ king_ Amreral, Princess of Termoree and I was Eris the murderer of kings" Eruanna snapped back. The wizard frowned, "So easily you cast aside your past and how easily you confess your crimes. Did you enjoy watching them die? Every last child of your house because of the war you started?" Saruman asked. "I enjoyed watching my father weep like a child and beg forgiveness but I shall never give it. You had better be wary wizard there is a kingdom of my kin on your doorstep, I will give you one bit of advice: do not attack them."

He looked at her scornfully before continuing; "and what do you want Gandalf Greyhame, the keys of orthanc or maybe the keys of Bar-dur itself, along with the crowns of the seven kings, and the rods of the five wizards" to this Gandalf replied "you treachery has already cost many lives, many more are now at risk but you could save them Saruman, you are deep in the enemy's council tell us what you know." "So you have come here for information, I have some for you," as Saruman spoke this he raised his arm, in his hand was a sphere that radiated light, a palantir. "Something festers in the heart of middle earth, something you have failed to see, but the great eye has seen it; even now he presses his advantage, his attack will come swift, you're all going to die. But you know this don't you Gandalf; you cannot think that this ranger will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor, this exile crept from the shadows will never be crowned king, Gandalf does not hesitate to sacrifice the ones closest to him, those he professes _to love ,_tell me what words of council did you give the Halfling before you sent him to his doom" Saruman looked pleased with this new gloat and Gandalf looked down regretfully, "the path you have set him on can only lead to death" Saruman finished, "I've heard enough, shoot him, stick an arrow in his gob" Gimli said to Legolas, Legolas began to reach for his arrow, Eruanna shook her head in disgust as Gandalf said "no, come down Saruman and your life will be spared." Gandalf begged. Eruanna snorted thinking that is the wizard came down she would personally shoot him in both eyes. "Save your pity and your mercy, I have no use for it" Saruman yelled back at him, and aiming his staff at Gandalf let a bolt of flame, fly from the end.

Eruanna drew her sword, and prepared to set it alight, but there was no need, "Saruman your staff is broken" Gandalf said coolly. Saruman's staff shattered around him. "Huh" Eruanna muttered, watching Grima creep up behind his master. He looked even worse than the last time she'd seen him, his face was as white as snow, the dull grey eyes seemed black, as if all hope had gone out of them, his clothes where torn, his hair was patchy and dripping with grease, she could see almost every bone in his face. "Grima" Théoden called up to him "you need not follow him, you were once a man of rohan, come down." She stared at him in disbelief; this was the man who betrayed his people. He should be burned upon a stake, not welcomed home. "A man of rohan, what is the house of rohan, but a thatched barn, where brigands drink in the reek and rats roll on the floor with the dogs, victory does not belong to you, Théoden horse master, you are a lesser son of greater sires" Saruman retorted. Eruanna yelled back, "nor you Saruman, for where are your army's, I can't see them. It must have been Théoden's victory, your army is dead and laid to waste" Théoden looked gratefully at her, then said softly to Grima, "Grima come down, be free of him" Grima turned to leave, "Free, he will never be free" throwing Grima to the ground. Eruanna saw Grima fumbling for something, and raised her palm to fire a bolt of flame; Legolas glanced at her and readied his bow as well. Gandalf repeated his earlier question, "you are deep in the enemy's council, tell us what you know" Saruman replied you withdraw you guard, and I will tell you where you doom will be decided, I will not be held prisoner here" on these words, Grima staggered over to the wizard, Eruanna raised her palm higher to take aim, The man raised his arm and drove a dagger deep into Saruman's back, over and over. Legolas released his arrow; Eruanna's blast froze and died out, Legolas's arrow embedded itself in the man's chest. The man staggered backwards, sinking to his knees; Saruman fell forwards over the edge of the tower and landed on a spike of a wooden wheel, which shot through his chest. Eruanna winced, the hobbits gasped in horror, it was a nasty way to go, even for a coward and traitor." Send word to all our ally's, and to every corner of middle earth that still stands free, the enemy moves against us, we need to know where he will strike" Gandalf ordered. Pippin slid down from behind Aragorn and waded over to the wheel in which Saruman's body was impaled, bending down he picked up the palantir that had slid from the dead wizards sleeve. He picked it up, it glowed softly the light growing stronger.

"I'll take that Peregrin Took, quickly now" Gandalf, said riding over. Eruanna frowned, the palantir was whispering softly, calling to everyone that could hear. Shuddering Eruanna turned her horse around and trotted over to the wall wreckage, the others followed, quietly, lost in their thoughts. Dismounting her horse Eruanna scrambled over the wall and walked to the edge of the forest, once in the shade of the tree's, she sat leaning against the cool bark of one of the larger ones. Closing her eyes, Eruanna tried to forget the scent of blood in the air, the silence that came before a battle, the feeling of complete hopelessness that she tried so hard not to show. The memories of her brother.

There was a soft rustle of grass before she felt a temperate presence beside her. "Are you alright, A'maelamin?" Legolas's soft voice whispered in her ear. "I'm fine, just tired" Eruanna sighed, opening her eyes to look at him, he was sitting closely to her, his deep blue eyes, filled with concern. Eruanna had to smile, his face was smudged with blood and dirt and the worry only added to the comical look. "What?" Legolas asked. "I've never seen an elf covered in so much grime, even Glorfindel can't get so filthy and he tires." Legolas smiled "ah, well Glorfindel is not from mirkwood, and the Rivendell lot cannot stand dirt" Eruanna laughed, "that is probably true, they would always trying to get me to bathe after training before even being let into the dining hall" she laughed again. Legolas smiled "you should laugh more often, it is a wonderful sound" and with that he lent in and kissed her. Eruanna slipped her arms round his neck, letting the world melt away. Legolas pulled away, smiling he stroked her cheek, "They looked surprised, the hobbits not the others" he murmured. Eruanna felt her stomach twist; she'd forgotten that they weren't alone. Eruanna felt her face going red, quickly she stood and slipped into the trees, the word was out, there was no going back. "Bugger" she whispered as she walked further into the wood. She should not feel so ashamed at her affections for Legolas but she could not feel as if it went against everything her people stood for. Her father had told her from the day she arrived in mirkwood 'elves and naira should not mix, we are nothing alike and never will be' but she knew it to be a reason she loved him. He was nothing like her.

After some time Eruanna stopped walking, she heard voices calling her. "If they want me they can come find me" she muttered. The shouts where getting closer, Eruanna no longer felt angry, she felt foolish, why had she stormed off like that? A rustle in the branches told her she was not alone; unsheathing her dagger she climbed the tree and came face to face with round frightened eyes, the eyes of a child. Eruanna let out a sigh of relief, "please don't hurt me, please" the boy whispered. Eruanna smiled "and why would I do that" she asked. The child frowned "because I left the fort without permission, after lady Eruanna left and her brother was seriously hurt, it has been the law that no one must leave the fort without permission" he said. She felt like she had been punched in the stomach, "what is your name" she said. "Calanon, what's yours" Calanon asked. "Eruanna" she replied, smiling at the big round eyes broadening even further. "Why did you leave the fort?" "Because I was hungry, there is no food, mama was sent off to fight in the wars and papa was killed by orcs" "I'm sorry, I did not know" Eruanna said, reaching to the bag she kept round her waist, she pulled out some lembas and handed it to him. "Thanks, what it is" Calanon said inspecting the bread with distaste. "Lembas, it's elvish, eat, then get back home" Eruanna said, suddenly conscious of the shouts for her. "You're the one they are all searching for. Your brother is very sick" he told her sombrely. "My brother is dead" she whispered. The child shook his head. "In a stupor that's what my sister says and she tends to him at night." The shouts grew louder and louder, she felt an absurd rush of relief through her body at the news of her brother's survival.

"Can I come with you?" Calanon asked "I have nowhere else to go." Climbing down the tree trunk like a panther. "Calanon, as much as I would like to help you, where I'm going, I probably won't be coming back" Calanon's face fell and tears welled up in his eyes and he gazed up at her the tears dripping down his wet cheeks. "Shhh, you'll be ok." Calanon nodded "yes my lady, I will be ok" she murmured, wiping away his tears on her sleeve. "When I grow up" the child interjected her fussing, "I will be just like you." "No child. You will be what nature decides you to be." She answered. Then through the trees burst a small hobbit followed by another, she glanced over her shoulder but the youngster had gone. On the wind she heard Calanon whisper goodbye. The hobbits yelled to the others and the came hurrying over. She paid no attention to their worried questions and they gave up asking after some time. The only thought on her mind was that her brother had lived. There could yet be hope for middle earth.

* * *

Lots of dialogue in this so probably not my best chapter (It is a weak point in my writing)… I'm starting to think my character is a Mary sue… Hmm… What are your opinions good readers? What can I improve and what mistakes have I missed in proof reading, I would love to know! Thank you so much for the reviews and favourites/ follows!


	24. Chapter 24

Blackness seethed into the gardens in which Eruanna was standing, she was alone, the only living thing in middle earth, the earth was churned up, bloodied from the once seemingly endless war. There were no stars to see, nor a moon, nor a sun. The stone fortress was a wreck, a pile of rubble. The once green trees of fangorn where burnt to the ground, Eruanna watched her breath float in the cool air, was it day or night? She knew not, she knew what she could see, fangorn's fortress had fallen, stiffly Eruanna moved one foot in front of the other, the wind whispering "you murderer, you monster, you traitor, you did this" she shook her head in disbelief, "I wouldn't do this, I would never do this" she whispered. She saw a child slumped by the garden wall, a spear digging deeply into his chest, the wall was sprayed with crimson around where the boy lay. Eruanna walked over to fascinated, her words echoed in her ears from earlier that day: "fight for glory, fight for you freedom, fight to the last child and never give in." The child's face lay squashed into the mud, the orc's had trampled its wretched body to try to escape, slowly Eruanna bent and pushed the child onto its back, shock hit her like a knife to the stomach." Calanon" she breathed; "what have I done"  
Backing away from the body of Calanon, Eruanna saw the banners of men flying in the wind, there were less than there had been, a lot less. Aragorn and Gimli sat at the front but no Legolas. She ran forward, praying that all was well. Aragorn dismounted, walked up to her, sorrow liquefied in his eyes. "My lady, Prince Legolas is dead, the quest has failed." Eruanna sank to her knees, the wound from earlier that day she knew no longer, there was only a pain in her chest worse than any she had experienced before, it burned angrily and relentlessly, taking her breath from her and squeezing her lungs tightly, it felt as though her soul was being torn from her. She screamed into the darkness the earth-shaking as her rage boiled over. Everything she had loved was gone, there was no point in life left, and yet she could not die, first Lord Elrond and her friends in Rivendell, then her friends in fangorn, her people, and now her soul mate, all cruelly stolen from her, the war was lost and she no longer cared.

Her eyes snapped open and focused on the stars above; Her skin was cold and sheen of sweat covered it in thin beads. The soft breathing of the others in the camp lulled her heightened scenes and her labored breathing seemed more noticeable in the quietness on night. She sat up looking round at the body's strewn across the soft grass. She stood shakily, tomorrow they would be back at Edroas. Eomer who was on guard did not even glance at her. She smiled fondly at the elf as ha lay resting on his back watching the stars in his dreams. "I will not be gone long" she promised herself, stepping over the smiling Pippin whose dreams were filled with many simple things. It was only a short distance to a stream near where they had stopped to rest for the night. She sat at the edge of it and scrubbed the grime from her face and hands. The stench of man clung to her and it was mingled with other smells that where far more unpleasant though it made her throat burn and her desire for blood clawed at her innards all the same. After she was clean she gazed up at the faded stars. "Where are you little hobbit? Are you still alive?" she whispered, "Do you see the stars I see or are they veiled and clouded?" Frodo had troubled her for some time, he had Sam to guide and comfort him but the world they where entering was not one that they were used to. She heard no answer on the wind and disappointment stirred in her heart. She regretted not making an effort to befriend the halfling or give him counsel when he had looked like he needed it most. She had been to aware of the difference between her and the others and had tried to distance herself. Ironically it was them who wanted to distance themselves now. She had the trust of Legolas and the two hobbits but even the dwarf was cautious of her though he was kinder than Aragorn had ever tried to be. Her mother had once taught her to read the stars and she saw many constellations now, they mirrored that of the sky's above her lands and the longing that had dwindled for the shores of Termoree was reborn again in that moment. "I will fight even if I am alone in this world because it is all I will ever know" Eruanna swore. She felt drained of feeling, dreams where not like others for her kind, they where to be feared because the reflected the evil within. Her companions had begun to teach her how to care for the petty things but their absence however far away they really were stripped her of them. only a few years ago she had depended upon drink to fill the missing feelings within her, now it was the raw emotions within others that filled her with joy. Her heat so scarred by war she had never thought it would heal was slowly mending. Yet still her night's were filled with endless torment of the past and her days reflected others expectations of what she should be like. "I condemn your hopes for me father for I have someone who has hopes for both of us and will not mold me in his reputation but let me shape myself" she muttered into the water which reflected only her face. The image rippled suddenly and portrayed a field with a dark crow upon a broken throne. "This is our dynasty daughter" the wind hissed. She shuddered. Never had there been a time when she had desired the throne except for the respect and adoration of others it would bring. Those desires too where now gone and she longed for adventure and a life of freedom and adventure was her wish. "Hurry little hobbit, to the fires I pray you will go." Sudden despair consumed her and for the first time since her mother's death she wept openly.

**Aragorn**

He was woken by Eomer and the man informed he that Eruanna had wondered off looking distressed. Concerned for his companions welfare he followed the direction Eomer had seen her go. She was not far away and he crept closer drawing his sword. She sat on the bank of a stream and for the first time he saw a side of her that stirred pity in his heart. She looked so broken and filled with anguish. The proud and strong woman wept up to the stars alone. He watched her draw her blood from her arms and the tears stopped falling. He lowered the blade and a movement in a tree caught his eye. He crawled over to the base of the bark and glanced up into the green leaves to see cool blue staring down at him. The elf pressed his fingers to his lips and turned his gaze back to the naira. She sat calmly watching the water and tracing the stars along its cool mirrored surface. Aragorn studied his friend in the branches, elves could hide their emotions well but Legolas was showing clear signs of heartache as he watched her cut open her arms. He seemed uncertain of what to do. Aragorn reached up to a nearest branch and climbed up beside him. He placed his hand on the elf's shoulder and his friend closed his eyes to hide the pain. Eruanna stood, tearing a piece of her tunic to binder her arms and headed back in the direction of the camp. "How long have you been here" Aragorn whispered. "As long as she has" Legolas answered. He sat next to the elf wanting to ask him more but it was not the time. "I don't know what to do Aragorn. She's suffering but will not admit it. I love her but i do not want to watch her destroy herself." "She needs you to be understanding, I will try to make it easier on her but I do not trust her nor do I admire her in any way" Aragorn replied. He saw the faint smile flicker across the fair face, "What does Gandalf say of Frodo's progress" "He believes that Frodo is still undiscovered" Aragorn informed him. Legolas nodded and swung gracefully out of the tree and he followed calmly. Eruanna lay curled up in her own arms, the elf lay down beside her in the dawn and held her close. He remembered Arwen and a pang of longing to have her with him. Seeing them contented made his remember what he could loose and he turned away to find something to hunt.

**Eruanna**

She felt his arms encircle her and huddled closer to him. he kissed her forehead murmuring soothingly to her. The tears threatened to slip from her eyes again and he pulled her closer and she tried to hold them back. A soft whimper escaped her and he kissed her again. Tears escaped her eyes and he hushed her as she sobbed into his tunic silently. He had seen her at the steam and he made no attempt to berate her. It angered her more than his deceit in following her "It's okay my love, I'm here, nothing can harm you" he murmured, settling her into his grasp. "I had another dream" she confessed. His muscles tensed and he smoothed her hair in an attempt to console her. "You died, the world burned. I have never been so afraid." "I will never leave you, you know that" he muttered, kissing her cheek. "You must think i am weak. I cannot control my fears" she sighed. "No, you are strong and this is not your fault" Legolas snapped. She jumped and he kissed her apologetically. "Yet I cannot look a crow in the eye without remembering things that I would rather forget and those memories drive me mad" she argued. The elf said nothing but kissed her again. "Love alone will not make this go away" she chided. "No, but it makes you smile a little" Legolas murmured. "I don't know what to do. I am fortunate that it has not happened when I am fighting. I could be killed." The elf froze, his eyes filled with distress at the idea. "Then we shall try to find out why you are so afraid" he answered. She nodded but said nothing more on the matter.


	25. Chapter 25

After three days riding they reached Edoras once again. As the king was welcomed openly by cheers and jubilation it was announced there was to be a feast in tribute of all those who had died at helms deep. Gimli cheered up immediately, Eruanna would have declined her invitation but she welcomed the idea, it seemed too good to ignore such an offer of unlimited food and drink. It was proving to be a superb evening despite her friends robbing her of her ale at several intervals. There was laughter and light in the hall of such she had not seen since she was a very young child yet for all its deception, it seemed there was one who was only making a half-hearted attempt to join in. "I was never one for celebrations ether, I'm…" "Eruanna… I know. My uncle was saying you fought bravely earlier" Eowyn answered not meeting her gaze. "Bravery is just another word for stupidity" she answered, her eyes settling on the dwarf drinking himself senseless in a new contest he had declared. "Then you think my desire to be valiant a foolish thing?" the maid asked. "I think you wish for recognition and not to be forgotten, in that way, we aren't dissimilar. This is a world run by men for men and those who are born of the weaker sex must be meek and mild or they should be scorned." She told the woman coolly. "I want to fight, to have a chance of valour, but the only way it seemed is to be a man" Eowyn continued. Eruanna rolled up her sleeve to reveal the scars that were still healing. "You think that you could carry the scars of honour and sacrifice, There is no valour in watching your friends hacked to pieces. There is no valour in what comes after in the nightmares that haunt you. There is nothing honourable in being torn limb from limb and beaten to death by an orc Eowyn. There is very little truth in stories told of battle if there was, no one would be brave enough to fight" Eruanna chided. "Yet I that way we are different. War chose you Eruanna, you did not choose it and you suited it ill until you knew nothing else, I saw it in the way you killed at warg." Eowyn answered coldly. "My father fashioned me a warrior. I was born of high and noble blood; it is the only path we can lead. Had I been born a lowly servant I could have become a healer or a cook whom I dreamed of becoming as a child but I had the misfortune of being born a princess and i-" "Misfortune Eruanna? Many would count it a blessing to be born to a king" Eowyn interrupted. "I have had my whole life mapped out for me. It is battle after battle with no sight of happiness. It was a king who gave me life and in doing so h robbed me of it" she answered. The shield maiden examined her with some interest. There was a sudden loud crashed Gimli slipped off the bench and both of them jumped. "Your friend might need your assistance" Eowyn giggled, indicating that there was no more conversation to be had.

She left the celebrations and went out to watch the stars. "Have you come to check on me, I would have thought you would have sent Legolas to do that" she asked the man standing in the shadows. "I came to see if you wanted something to drink after your heated debate with lady Eowyn" Aragorn answered handing a flagon of dark ale to her. "This doesn't seem like you Aragorn" she muttered sipping the bitter drink. "Did anyone ever each you to say thank you?" the man snapped back before looking rueful. "No, I usually got everything I wanted without asking for it." The man sniffed with a small amount of amusement. "Legolas has been kind enough to enlighten me of all your misdeeds together" he informed her. "I'm sure he has" she muttered. They stood awkward silence as she downed he ale and gazed woefully the empty bottom. "What is the real reason you are here Eruanna? If you wanted ensure the rings destruction you would have followed Frodo. What can you possibly gain from staying with us?" the man asked suddenly. Startled she glanced at him to see the dark eyes boring into hers. "It's ok that you do not like me. I do not like your kind as I have made clear from when we first met though I consider you a slight exception to that rule. I only wish to prove myself trustworthy besides I could not desert my hearts desires so easily" she answered cautiously. "You are here for no other reason than Legolas?" he answered sceptically. What was she to say, that she enjoyed the emotional fulfilment others brought her? That she was growing to enjoy the company the others brought her? That had she gone with Frodo it was likely she would have killed him for the ring? "I beg of you now, if you do not love him as you should give him up." The man continued. "I will not give him up" she retorted angrily, "to ask me that would be for me to ask you to forget Arwen and love another in her place, it is a stupid ad unbearable thought and I wish never to hear it again." "Do not bring her into this" Aragorn bit back. "My thoughts and dreams are full of dark things Aragorn, I could easily kill someone and not think twice about it but I have someone who would look on me and feel the shame I should feel. It is selfish and I should lie. I should tell him I do not love him and make him choose his own kind. I should do it but he is the only thing that keeps me from falling into total disarray because he is the only thing I love in this world. I tried to turn away once, I left mirkwood but it caused my heart to shatter; now he is picking up the pieces that I cannot sew together. I follow you now because I see someone who will be a good leader and I want to have some nobility restored by fighting at the side my friends, I want to be of some use where rest my kind will never be" she explained. Aragorn was silent for long time as he mulled over what she had said. "You killed your father for the throne then did not take it; why?" "My father after my mother died was angry and distraught. Of all his wives she was the one he loved the most, he grew greedy and selfish and he enjoyed watching others suffer as his heart suffered. I served as a faithful and loving daughter for many years as Eris until I grew to see that my mind had been poisoned lies but I still wanted power so i killed him. It was after I killed him I realised that I did not want a position above everybody else, I hated others bowing to me and the lack freedom it brought, I had my uncle crowned instead d took up a position in the army to become a commander." She described doggedly. The man nodded and glanced over at the pitcher she still held. Waving her hand over it; it re-filled and she handed it to him before going back to the party.

The little hobbits sung cheerily on a table top surrounded by guffawing men and tipsy women. Gimli had been tucked away in the corner and Legolas crouched in front of him his face a picture of self-satisfaction at his victory in the drinking game. Gandalf stood near the halflings clapping along merrily. It was the wizard she needed advice from but taking on a wizard who thought she her name was spelt trouble would be no easy task. She stepped up next to him and watched the cheery halflings for a few minutes allowing the maiar to adjust to her presence. "How long have we got Gandalf? How long will it be before the enemy makes his first move?" he asked hurriedly. "I can only guess it to be soon" the wizard said tactfully. "I need some advice" she sighed softly. She glimpsed a look close to amazement on the old face and her cheeks blushed pink. "Am I wasting my time here? Should I just go back to my people and fight alongside them when the enemy turns on us?" she continued. "What good would that do?" Gandalf asked. "I belong in hell not here, I would not cause trouble for this company" she muttered. There was almost compassion on his faces as he studied her. "You are more use to us than you are to them, if your people decide to side with the enemy and there is talk of it, you will give us information on how we can defeat them besides I believe some of the others have become attached to you. Do not condemn yourself because of what you are Eruanna but on your actions in the present and past" "The past terrifies me" she murmured glancing over to Legolas to ensure he was not listening. "I will give you this advice. If you go to your people you will be met with cold indifference from those who love you here. If you stay you will be met with detestation from your people. You need to decide which you value more and soon" Gandalf advised. She thanked him and went to help Legolas with Gimli.

"You are in no fit state to carry him." She warned Legolas as he tried to pull the dwarf to his feet. "Why not?" Legolas retorted. "I hear you have had another game with Eomer since I left, I think he would appreciate it if you did not drop him" she giggled. "It was only a few extra ales" the elf argued, allowing her to help the drowsy Gimli to his feet. "I wouldn't call fifteen a few extra" the complained. "I am not drunk meleth" he said defensively. She shrugged and they successfully transpired Gimli to a small room near the hall to recover. He kept glancing at her as they walked in peace back to the hall, "Why do you look at me so?" she blurted. "Something is playing on your mind" he responded. "No. Nothing is on my mind" she lied. "Don't lie to me, you frown when you are troubled, now whatever upsets you so?" he asked pulling her into his warm embrace. "Choices I have made and will have to make" she answered. "You think too much mellemin and it does nothing for you." She glared up at him before settling back under his chin. He smiled and kissed her forehead before working his way down her face and claiming her lips. "You are defiantly drunk" she grumbled. "Am not" he retorted kissing her more tenderly. "I know what drink smells like elf" she countered. "Maybe a little" he confessed. "Well, while you are under the powerful spell of ale why you don't come and help me change" she said, grinning wickedly. "I'm not that drunk" Legolas told her shaking his head. She pouted at him with mock disappointment. "When we are married meleth" he sighed. "What will that be?" she asked hopefully. "After this war has been won" he told her. "What if we lose?" she muttered. "That will never happen" he murmured. "I fear I am becoming impatient, forgive me my love" she sighed. "My flame, patience was never your strong suit though you liked to think so" he chuckled. "I don't want to wait; someone could turn up and steal you from me" she reasoned. "No one will rob you of me I promise; I do not want to wait but it is not right that my family do not know of this choice or yours" he countered. She groaned in dismay and buried her head in his shoulder. His soft musical laugh filled the small corridor and he kissed her passionately over and over until she began to giggle too. "There, all your troubles are gone" he told her taking her and leading her back to the main hall.

She lay awake in the small chamber she had been given debating her choices. She was bound by blood to her kind but bound by love to her friends. Did she not love her kind too? Where they not her friends? If they did fight with the enemy then would she had the straight to betray every last one them? Could she watch mortal men massacre her own immortal race for the sake of a few she cared about? Could she stand being the last of her kind? She stared up at the cobwebs on the ceiling. The rot of the wood that was spreading through the rafters. If she went with them she would have hear heart torn away from her and all emotion would cede to exist. If she stayed she would be shunned and cast out for good and she would slowly drown in pity gifted to her in pretty gestures from others. It was unlikely that her people would take sides at all but not impossible. What was the right choice?


	26. Chapter 26

_Giggles filled the sheltered clearing as two children chased after a small butterfly. "Legolas look what I brought" the girl said suddenly remembering the book she had dragged to their secret glade. Little hands pawed the book open hungry for knowledge. "__"This dusty old book was sitting there, just begging to be read, I thought you might like to look at the drawing, I can't read the long words yet though." Eruanna explained wriggling up close to her friend and lying on her belly to read the tattered pages. "Ada never lets me look at things like this, he thinks I will get scared" Legolas breathed running his fingers over a gold embossed picture of an animal with a human head and an eagle's body. "Papa likes me to read them, he thinks it's good for me to understand what I could fight" she answered happily swinging her legs behind her. She saw him bite his lip and frowned, "What's the matter?" she asked nudging him playfully. "My brother says you will go to battle and forget me" he mumbled. She turned the page and heard the soft gasp from her friend and smiled at her small triumph of distracting him from her fate. "You will go though, you said so yourself" the elf pestered. "I won't forget you" she huffed, flicking over the page and concentrating hard on the words. The little elf lay very still gazing contentedly as the picture flicked past and she began to feel lulled by the calm of the forest. All of a sudden the forest was alight and burning the two children ran back and forth trying to evade the flames but eventually they were consumed by them._

She awoke with a start, she up slowly and the cold of the chamber hit her forcefully in the chest; the room was dark lit only by a candle by her bed. She was shaking uncontrollably and her hair was damp with sweat. She stood shakily and went over to the basin, and splashed the icy water on her face. Her dream came back to her in a rush, it had been so real, and "_it is what will happen if you go to fangorn instead of Gondor and your people go with you to the black gate__ and poor Eruanna will be alone"_ hissed the voice of Eris. Eruanna frowned, "Why would that matter" she whispered, but Eris was silent once more. Her next thought was to go outside and cool her nerves; she dressed quickly, pulled on her mantle, and slipped out the door.

The night air was so cold ice could have formed in the air around her. As she walked she felt a sense of dread in the solder's, as if they knew this night could be their last, they had returned to Edoras early in the evening of yesterday but now celebrations had died down and the night was as still as stone. Eruanna considered sneaking into Legolas's room and curling up next to him but at this time of night, he would be out watching the stars or talking to a horse down in the stables but after that dream, she knew she needed him to listen and hear what she was thinking of doing. Silently she slipped down to the stables, the horses were sleeping soundly. Their equine body's nestled in the hay. Eruanna breathed in the smell it was one she had grown up with, and gave her some comfort. Scanning the stable Eruanna saw that Legolas wasn't there. She sat on a nearby hay bale running her nails over her scalp to force herself to concentrate, the ale she had drank the night before had been stronger than her estimate and was not playing games in her innards. When it didn't work she left and trudged back up the hill.

When she eventually found him he was gazing at the stars intently. His hood pulled over his head. Quietly she crept up behind him and slipped her arms round his waist, "it's a long way home now mellonin" she whispered. "I'm worried for my family they will be fighting for their lives' in mirkwood yet we are here, waiting, it's all we ever do." He replied. "Waiting is a good choice to have; we know what to expect if we wait, we can choose our path better with time but I fear that time is against us." Legolas was silent for a while, when he spoke he spoke haltingly, not wanting to speak his mind. "Why are you not asleep, it is not like you to be awake near dawn?" She sighed, "I had a bad dream, I could not sleep" she removed her arms from round his waist, "I'm scared. For the first time in my life I'm scared because I don't know what to do, I feel as if the whole of my race depends on me but I'm scared I'll make a mistake, I feel so alone and I can't help feeling like we are dangling on the end of a fishing line, like bait, waiting for a miracle to happen" Legolas took her hands gently in his and kissed them, "you're not alone, it is not wrong to be afraid, maybe your people need you but it's your choice to help them, though I think we need your help more." Eruanna forced a smile and looked out at the sky, "When I was little my mother told me stars were the eyes of the dead, watching over us. I think it must be true, I think my mother knew this day would come and in her own way was telling me that even now she trusts me" Eruanna whispered. Legolas smiled, "perhaps that is true, that the dead often comfort the living at night, perhaps that why the night can be so calming." "You would say that wood elf" she muttered darkly wrapping herself up in his warmth. "Ay meleth, you are frozen" he gasped undoing his cloak and wrapping it around her. "I'm fine, it is just the night that turns my skin cold" she mumbled as he clasped her tightly into his chest. "You are not sick?" he asked, his soft eyes filled with worry. "No, I feel fine" she lied burrowing herself into his cloak; he did not understand sickness as she did and it would not do to frighten him unless it became serious. In truth she was cold; she felt as though she would retch at any moment and the cold was not helping much.

"There is more you wanted to tell me meleth" Legolas stated after a few moments. "I have to make a choice Legolas and I do not want to decide. If my people join with our enemy I will have to ether join them or help hinder them, I will have to choose between love and loyalty" she answered. She caught the flicker of grief pass over him but pretended to ignore it. "I can't lose you" he said, tightening his grip. "I haven't decided yet." He lent and kissed her fiercely before pulling away before she would have liked so as to leave her breathless. "What will you do?" he asked timidly. She saw how young he really was in that look and it made her feel so small and childlike again. There was so much innocence in those eyes that begged her to stay, so much painful desperation of not knowing how to help. "Please Legolas; stop looking at me like that" she whispered tearing her eyes away to stem the sudden tears building up. "I don't want to lose you again" he answered, holding her to him possessively. "I can't make that promise." "Then promise me you will sail to valanor if we lose this war" he said. "I promise" she sighed. Satisfied he loosened his grip on her waist and kissed her lightly. "You are sweating, are you sure you are well?" he murmured. She nodded but did not meet his firm gaze. He looked relived and let her go in time for her to double over and heave up the remains of the ale she had drunk the night before. "Liar" he muttered as he held her hair out of her face, wrinkling his nose delicately as she retched up the second time. "You always exaggerate the severity of illness elf, I did not want to alarm you" she groaned "I had far too much to drink last night that is all." He snorted disapprovingly at her but continued to rub her back gently as the tired to stop her head from spinning wildly. She scowled at him irritably before seeing the unease she was causing him. "You don't have to stay meleth if you do not wish, it will not kill me; I feel better now". He flinched at the words and pulled her into his arms kissing her forehead. "I am not convinced."

She did not argue, he had a canny way of winning most of their arguments and he had set his jaw in determination to win any that would follow his remark. Instead she let him drag her back to her chamber and bundle her into the clammy sheets before fetching a drink for her and sitting next to her bedside. "What am I going to do with you?" he asked. "Marry me" Eruanna giggled. "Only if you decide to stay" he reminded her. "I do believe I could call that a threat" she protested. She saw the wicked glimmer in his eyes as he lent back in his chair. "Elves don't threaten" he challenged. "No but naira do" she purred. "Oh and what malevolent things are you planning?" he asked. She gave him a crafty smile before nestling back into the pillow. "I'm still cold" she complained. "I'm sure I can fix that" he replied before curling up next to her. "What are you thinking?" he questioned after a few minutes. "I'm thinking that you smell delicious" she mumbled drowsily, "you are almost edible, what about you?" He kissed her shoulder and wrapped his arm around her midriff. "I'm thinking that you actually like all this attention you vain creature" he answered. "I am not vain" she snapped. "Perhaps, but you are beautiful" he contended, "there now, you are smiling again and I think you are blushing too. Shall I tell you how I see you meleth, how beautiful you are in my eyes?" "How do you see me?" she asked groggily. He began to kiss his was down her jaw languidly, "I see pale skin like silk moonlight on water, I see eyes brighter than any living gem and greener than any tree, perfect Ledaean features to melt the iciest of hearts and golden hair like sun upon the sea as sunrise. Others can call her plain and comparable to that of a mortal but I see her as the most perfect living thing, all stories of maidens whose beauty is incomparable seem so plain when I look at you, you blush and shake your fair head and say that I lie with such perfect tones but never have I been speaking so truthfully" he said softly. "There is no one of such description, no one holds such perfection, my eyes are often red not green; my skin is not cream and is war torn and scarred. My body is not one of flawlessness. What looks I have are to disguise the dark rot within me" she argued, "if I asked anyone else to describe me they would call me ugly to look upon because of what I am inside." She heard an irritable sigh and he kissed her nape before whispering words she did not understand to her in his own tongue. It hushed her back into her woozy state. "I will love you no matter what you are Eruanna, you are perfect to me besides you will not sway me" he murmured as slumber began slowly to claim her for itself.

**Legolas**

In his heart he knew he would never fully convince her to see what he saw or anyone else for that matter. She lay sleeping beside him; her breath all but vanished from her body as it was the way her kin dozed. Others would not call her as she had said ugly but they would not call her perfection. At times her choices had been highly questionable though she had admitted to regret them later. He lay on the bed thinking about their future and all that could come about. His father would be appalled at his choice and would try to stop it whatever the cost. She was right that there was a possibility that they would not survive. Legolas glanced over at her before climbing off the bed. He went to the small window and gazed out across the plain. He as not averse to disobeying his father and he knew that his father loathed the naira with more passion than any orc or goblin alive. The alliance had always been uneasy but it was better than war. It would be so easy to marry her in secret. There were many ideas surrounding marriage that naira believed in, some claimed copulation was the only true way to be married like the elves did while others claimed a piece of paper and a blessing was all that was needed. While she shared many of his own kind's beliefs as a repercussion of growing up alongside his kind she had also many views that would be abhorred by many. He wanted his family's blessing more than anything though the more he thought about it the more impossible it seemed. If she married him before the war was out she would not find it so easy to speak of leaving him. If they waited I might never occur because of differences in racial conflicts. For the time being he was willing to ignore the possibility that they may never get to marry and enjoy what stretch they had left.


	27. Chapter 27

It was the shouts from the next room that stirred Eruanna from slumber; cries of alarm and terror that's sent her staggering out into the adjoining chamber. When she reached it seemed the commotion was already over and pippin lay sprawled out on the floor with the occupants of the room huddled round him. Gandalf stooped over the frail body and murmured incantations to waken him. The hobbit stirred and his head rolled away from the wizards gaze. The room was filled with harsh whispers and they came from under a robe. She glanced over to the others before going to inspect the robes contents. "Don't touch it" Gandalf ordered without taking his yes of pippin. Startled she pulled her hand away and glared at the offending item. "What did you see" Gandalf pried. Pippin shook his head fearfully before answering; "I saw a white tree in a courtyard of stone. It was dead" "The white tree is that what you saw" demanded the wizard. "I saw him. He asked me my name. I didn't answer, he saw me" the little hobbit continued. "What did you tell him" Gandalf asked frantically. Pippin frowned at Gandalf in confusion, and shook his head. "Call for the king and Eruanna try not to start a war while we are away" Gandalf snapped, sweeping out of the room in legendary style for a fifty thousand year old. "I don't start wars" Eruanna called after him. "I will believe that when I see it" Gimli laughed. Legolas kissed her cheek quickly and shrugged before following them out of the room. She glanced at the two hobbits grimly. "I don't start wars" she repeated. Merry snorted and Pippin raised an eyebrow with mock sympathy. "You could do the way you insult the king at every opportunity" the older hobbit said at last. She sat down on the nearest mat and studied them. "You started a battle without my help well enough, I'm curious; how did you manage to get the Ents to fight?" she asked. The hobbits grinned at one another the pure portrait of mischief. "It's a long story" Pippin said thoughtfully. "I have eternity" she countered before smiling at them. "Well… It began soon after the orcs kidnapped us" Pippin started. "No it didn't, it began once we got into fangorn" Merry complained. "I want to hear all that happened after we separated, please continue Pippin" she interrupted. She halfling beamed smugly at his cousin before continuing with his tale. "As I was saying, after the orcs had captured us and I dropped my broach to help you find us the pack stopped for the night on the edge of fangorn." The hobbit looked over to Merry and obligingly the other hobbit took over, "So they were all arguing about what to eat when Pippin thought he saw something in the woods, a pair of red eyes then several but I told him it was nonsense. The orcs began to fight between themselves then one was set upon by the others…." Merry paused in revulsion and she gave him a sympathetic look, Pippin picked up the story. "I did see something in trees, anyway Eomer and his men attacked and we managed to escape. Several orcs escaped with us and chased us through the trees, a few of them vanished suddenly and there where red eyes all about" Merry interjected "He's making the bit up about the eyes my lady but I think the orcs just got lost. Anyway we were fleeing from one of them when Pip climbed up a seemingly harmless tree" "With no eyes in it" pippin interrupted. "When I was grabbed by the orc and pushed to the ground" Merry overrode the younger hobbit. "Only it wasn't a normal tree at all. It was Treebeard, he crushed the orc and swiped merry up. After he met Gandalf in the forest however he decided to call a meeting" pippin said. "An entmoot?" she questioned. "That's what it's called, so they spent ages deciding on what we were then even longer on deciding not to go to war. Then tree beard said he would drop us on the edge of the forest." Merry explained. "Then I had an idea, if he saw what Saruman was doing to the forest I was sure he would not be very please and I was right. He called all the Ents together and they marched on Isengard. You then turned up and Saruman was killed" Pippin finished. "Well you both tell an excellent tale" she laughed, "It seems for all my peoples cunning we were outsmarted by two hobbits, for as long as I can remember the Ents have refused to aid us in our battles and you made them go to war within a few days!"

The hobbits grinned at one another and sat opposite. "Will you tell us about Termoree?" Pippin asked hopefully. "What would you like to know?" The two hobbits looked at one another for a long time before Merry answered "Why did you have to leave?" She paused, running through every reason in her mind before selecting a few that would make partial sense to them. "When My brother and I were born, my father took us to a soothsayer and she told him of the great wars to come. She told him one of us would start the biggest war of all time and the other would end it. He trained us both in battle and survival for the first seven years of my life I did not lack the love a child needs to grow. Then my mother died and war broke out across Termoree. My father was worried that he would lose more of his family so he set sail across the sea. We were banished to those lands sauron's master for turning our back on him when we were needed and so we only vaguely knew of middle earth. Only when we arrived more followed until there where many of my people in these lands; after a few years trouble began brewing here as well, my sister tried to solve it by taking the ring for her own with the encouragement of my brother. Eru banished us from our homelands for betraying him to Melkor once again until the wrong has been put right. We may have been banished to Termoree by one but to never see our fiends again because we are banished to another land is almost unbearable" she explained. The hobbits sat looking thoughtful, "Was it beautiful, the lands surrounding where you lived?" Pippin asked. "It was paradise but the people living there where less harmonious, a land is not appreciated until it is lost, unless of your nature is to love the natural world" she replied. "Why does Gandalf not trust you? You seem a decent person if there is such a thing" Merry asked. "Once I was a murderer. I killed my own father and many of my friends. I became solitary and distrustful of others with distrust comes an overwhelming ability not to care for others, he thinks I am still the killer I once was but you cannot fault him for it" she clarified. They talked for a long time, trading stories of their homes before Aragorn came to retrieve them; they seemed reluctant to face Théoden so she agreed to come with them. It would be long before anyone would see their homes again.

Morning was already fading into afternoon, Eruanna watched all the men prepare for war, Pippin had seen the enemy's next move, he moved to strike Gondor and rohan was answering their call. "My lady" a voice questioned. Eruanna glanced quickly to see Eowyn, lady of rohan, watching her, before the question could be asked; she an answer. "Eowyn, you have a long life ahead of you, do not waste it in an act of foolish valour. Your time will come, be patent." "I want to fight; surely women have the right to fight for what they believe in? Do you not believe that there was a reason that you were made a warrior?" Eowyn protested, Eruanna snorted, how could she know the true reason for her father's will? "I was born to end the race of men, to butcher everyone who stood in my father's way. I cannot sleep at night for what I have done and what I have seen and if I do dream they are often filled with dark memories enough to make me want death" Eruanna snapped. "I'm sorry, I did not know" Eowyn said, softly, her voice trembling. Pity stained her heart and she looked at the woman whose eyes where filled with determined tears. "If you want my advice, Listen well" she said, "If you must fight, fight for what you believe in, don't ever let your emotion's get the better of you if you do then you are as good as dead unless by some miracle you have a friend who is able to help you." She rattled off all of what her combat tutor had told her about fighting an unequal battle, and then an idea came into her head. "I think I know how to get past the king too" she said, toying with the idea in her mind. "How?" Eowyn asked eagerly. " You will all be wearing armour, but take the back of the charge when you set off, your uncle will ride at the front, when you get near Gondor move to the front, and stay hidden, do not take off your helmet and choose a different name" she deliberated. Eowyn thanked her for her council and hurried to make preparations. She watched as the gates opened and the first riders set out across the lands. "She will be caught, you do realise" Legolas said, slipping out of the shadows. Eruanna smiled "Perhaps but give her credit, she has a heart to make a giant tremble. My father would have loved her." The elf smiled, "did he not love you?" he asked. "No, never loved, he used me, lied to me, told me that he did but my father told me many things, none of them true" Eruanna replied, feeling the pain of the truth again. "He wanted a son, my twin brother was hopeless at combat from the start so he concentrated on my ability's, I was the replacement for one that died young, when my mother bore him another, I am dispensable" she muttered, her voice sounded faraway, mournful. "You are not dispensable; there are many here that love you, even if your father was as you say he was, you would have been loved by many others" he scolded, sliding his arms around her. "Name me one person who loves me" she challenged. "Me, Gimli, and the hobbits" he listed, kissing her neck. Eruanna sighed, "Back when my father was alive, I was hated, loathed, I had no one" she said, "uh huh" Legolas muttered between kisses. "Legolas, stop, you're being off-putting" Eruanna giggled. "Good" he whispered into her ear, "you need to be distracted." Eruanna grinned, kissing him under his jaw. "I love you, never forget that" "I love you too" she whispered back.

He said nothing but wound his fingers into hers. "I was thinking of what you said about us marrying" he said at last. She glanced at him and he seemed sincere so she allowed him to continue. "It occurred to me that your people have so many traditions surrounding matrimony, I did not know which one you believed in most." He had the decency to blush as he admitted his lapse in memory. "Your kind was determined for me to share the same beliefs, I don't think the past years I have spent with my own kind will change what they taught me" she told him. He let out a small relieved breath and the tips of his ears turned pink for shame. "What are you planning?" she pestered. "I was considering moving the date a little, I think the longer we leave it the harder it will be to decide when the right time is" he explained. "Are you suggesting we marry in secret?" she gasped, it was unusual for him to do anything without his father's consent. "Not entirely in secret, I wondered if Gandalf might give his blessing and our friends of course will be told however our families will be blind to it" he answered. "When exactly where you planning on warning me if I hadn't asked?" He blushed again, "I was hoping after a few drinks." She felt laughter bubbling up in her throat and she let it slip out over her tongue. After a few seconds he joined in before Aragorn bellowed up to them that they were leaving and that Gimli needed help getting on his horse. There was trouble in his eyes as they went to join the procession, all laughter dissipated and he went quite. War would shake even the strongest of wills and test even the strongest love; theirs was yet to be tested.


	28. Chapter 28

They arrived at the base camp midday some days later; the king's disappointment was evident. There were not going to be enough to defeat the armies that stormed towards Minas Tirith. They spent the rest of the afternoon wandering round the camp in companionable silence with Gimli occasionally remarking on the stone work that could be done on the cliff face if they 'only put more time into it.' The hobbit had joined forces with Eowyn in the past few hours and hadn't been seen again, Eruanna suspected he missed Pippin whom Gandalf had kidnapped to take with him to Gondor. As they passed a stone carving of a horse's head Gimli made a satisfied grunt that at least one of the carvings looked as it should. "I have never seen anyone so passionate about rocks" Eruanna giggled as he began to tell the best way to carve stone. "There are more to rocks than meets the eye" the dwarf cautioned. "They have stories just as the trees do" Legolas agreed. "I am fortunate in ignorance to have such enlightening friends" she grumbled. "You enjoy the stories and songs that trees sing but you will not try and learn the earths songs, you are strange indeed my lady" Gimli answered. "It is because I cannot hear the rocks speak Gimli, I am no dwarf nor am I an elf, my abilities are limited in the ways of nature; it is the night I am attuned to and the moon and all her stars have so many songs of their own to sing" she replied. "Now let us say that here is one whose passion for the night outshines even the brightest star" Legolas laughed. She smiled faintly "I can faintly hear that of the trees but I am afraid Gimli I am at a loss when the stones call to me, some of my kind can hear them and they make good stone smiths, others hear the calling of water and fashion wondrous monuments with its aid, but I have no such skills; I envy the tales and sorrows that time has sung and you can hear but I do not think I should trade it for the songs the moon sings." The dwarf smiled from behind his bristled beard and said nothing more. Legolas looked at her with curiosity brimming in his aura and looked to the stars. "What are they singing tonight? I have heard many a tale of the memories of stars but I have dwelt in the forests for so long I hear stars voices when I strain my hearing but I only catch a few notes" he asked finally. "They sing of many faces that have stood here and wondered up at the sky seeking answered that no one will ever know, they speak of friendship and happiness but also the great sadness that will follow. It is a lament I think to all who will join them in the skies to watch over the lands but they welcome them" she explained. The dwarf looked puzzled for a long time as his friend gazed up into the night. "Would these stars happen to say anything about us?" he asked gruffly. "They say that you are the best of you kin Gimli" she chuckled. "You should not jest" Legolas exclaimed frowning at her. "I do not jest meleth, they tell tales of what the future holds for your friendship and they are wonderful to hear." She murmured.

"My father told me that no good would come from looking to the stars for answered" Legolas complained. "Yet they say your father looks to them often" she retorted. He frowned and looked back up to the cool light emanating from the small stars. "I think he meant to say you should not believe all you hear from them, truth is not always their forte but they tell tales to quell the sorrows of a thousand widows so I shall listen if no one else will" she sighed. They went further before they saw Eowyn shooing the young hobbit to some unknown destination. "There is one who would value the tales you stars tell" Gimli pointed out. "I fear they will not be of any use to her soon" she replied sadly. "It is a shame for one so young to be so unhappy" the elf mused. "It will not last, she has a good heart and hope will find her yet" the dwarf countered. "And if it does not?" Eruanna interrupted. "Then she will be like you my miserable one" Legolas chuckled. She elbowed him in the ribs before the scent of stew drifted over to her, her stomach growled demandingly. "Gimli my friend, I hope you are in for a spot of food thievery because I smell some delicious stew" announced before chasing after the smell with her companions on her heels.

"If ever there was hope in the world, it has left us" Eruanna thought, listening to Aragorn and Elrond talking. It had been a few days since their arrival at dunharrow. If ever there had been a time for her to wish she was alone, it was now, once she had longed for friendship and love but now she longed for a solitary day to herself. The mountain that scared men, that terrified horses and made even the most courageous of elves and dwarves uneasy, called to her, beckoned her like nothing she could describe. She knew the legends. They were altogether too true, people never returned from under the mountain. Never. The longing to enter the dark caverns scared her but made her exited at the same time. Looking round the camp she saw the faces of men, fearfully glancing up at the towering rock face. Shaking of the longing to explore the black secrets that it held, she went in search of her two companions to distract herself from her own emotions and to warn them of Aragorn's future escape route.

Legolas and Gimli were saddling up the horses when she found them. She needed no explanation, she knew the answer, she'd heard Aragorn's reply and she had not been the only one. She began to saddle her own horse up before the dwarf stepped in her way. "You must stay Eruanna" Gimli said softly seeing Legolas pleading silently with her. "I have to go, I can't explain, I know I am no use to rohan" Eruanna sighed pushing him out of the way. "Eruanna, I couldn't bear it if something were to happen to you" Legolas said, taking her hand. "Had it ever crossed your charming elven mind that we are going to die either way, I'd rather die at your side than with man who I have not known long enough to be able to pronounce his name. More to the point what about you? Gimli can't keep an eye on you and Aragorn, I'm coming weather you like it or not, you can't change my mind" Eruanna said, smiling at him. You're more persistent that a dwarf Eruanna, I'll give you that" Gimli chuckled. "Legolas don't worry about her. Her kind is notoriously hard to be rid of" the dwarf argued, still chuckling to himself. She glanced at Legolas. "Promise me you'll stay near me," he whispered in her ear, "so I can keep you safe" Eruanna looked at him with surprise, "I'm not a child" she said, forcing a smile, he took it as her promise and allowed her to mount her horse. They found Aragorn slinking round the tents. "Where'd you think your off to" Gimli said smugly. "Not this time Gimli, you stay here" Aragorn replied. "Have you learned nothing of the stubbornness of dwarves? We're coming with you" Legolas said smiling. Aragorn glanced at Eruanna, "You couldn't have stopped us if you tried" She said, grinning. Aragorn sighed, and climbed up onto his horse, "We better hurry, it will soon be dawn" he said to them. Legolas lifted Gimli up and swung up after him before they headed out into the shadows of the mountain.

The silence of the mountain path was deafening. Cold breezes puffed upon Eruanna's ears sending shivers down her spine. "This place seems so lost, as if the whole world has forgotten its existence, in all my long years, never have I seen a place so desolate but beautiful" Eruanna sighed. "Well naira, it is desolate, maybe not a pretty place" Gimli muttered, he had been on edge since they had entered the shadow of the mountain and had little time to look around, he was too concerned with checking to see if they were being followed. Aragorn had been silent the whole way, lost in his thoughts. Eruanna had tried listening to those thoughts but said nothing of their contents. They were mainly of Arwen and the war. Some were his own troubles and fears and she hated the human emotion it brought with it. "I am afraid to" Eruanna thought to herself, thinking of Boromir's question so long ago in the mines. She had answered that nothing frightened her, but yet many things did to some extent; human emotion and black birds being the two that stood out, she was afraid of other things, but she would never admit it even to herself. Her fear of losing all she held dear, that was the greatest fear of all. Eruanna shook off her thoughts, "The war against evil will be won by good, it always is in the stories" Eruanna thought, but another voice in her head said to her "but the war in your lands was won by evil, its why you and your people are here, in middle earth, this isn't some fairy tale where good wins and the princess wins the prince of her dreams and they all lived happily ever after, what makes you sure that evil will not prevail? What makes you think after this your life will be easier because you will be married?" the voice whispered. "It will not be easier and evil will not prevail" Eruanna muttered determinedly, spurring on her horse to catch up.

"Are you alright, you look nauseous" Legolas whispered. They had taken time to rest their horses and themselves. Eruanna was leaning up against a dead, dried out tree, Legolas crouching in front of her, his face full of apprehension. "I'm fine, I'm just tired" Eruanna sighed. The voice in her mind was troubling her. What if Frodo never made it to Mordor? What if everyone she knew and loved was killed? There where now dark shapes circling the high cliff tops and she shifted uneasily before burying her face into her knees. The elf sat beside her, and wrapped an arm round her shoulder. "Something is troubling you, I can tell" he sighed. "It's everything and nothing, there are people everywhere but there aren't, Aragorn's thoughts are literally screaming in my ear and they are things I really don't want to know, my life could not be any better… there are also several ruddy great crows sitting up on that tree over there and I believe they think I will make an delightful meal" Eruanna answered ruefully, then rested her head on his shoulder. She heard Legolas chuckle softly, "I sympathise you, mellemin, your eyes are better than mine at least when you are afraid, I can see the dead too, but I cannot hear Aragorn's thoughts, I did not know you could hear others think" Legolas said softly, kissing her brow. "I can hear thoughts when I wish and sometimes when I don't, it is magic I would love not to possess. As for the dead I would love to be rid of them, they are the biggest nuisance of the lot" Eruanna muttered, closing her eyes to enjoy Legolas's warm embrace and his sweet scent. He hummed softly to her as he had done when they were children and she had had a bad dream. "Do you remember the day of my mother's funeral and you held my had the hole way through because I was afraid I would be all alone" he asked. "I recall it vaguely" she mumbled. His hand slipped into hers, "Well, now I will hold yours until you feel less terrified" he whispered kissing the back of her hand. The largest of the crows swooped over them and she squeaked in alarm, he squeezed her had gently before helping her to her feet. "You remember all those nights you told the guards to go and do their job somewhere else and you came and curled up next to me before reading me a fairy tale" he asked. She nodded smiling at him, "You remember my favourite: the story about a brave princess who must go on an adventure to save the world only to rescue a prince and live in contentment for the rest of her days. I think you were telling our story." He murmured, kissing her gently. "As I recall I butchered the princess in the final telling of that story and she barely escaped with her life after the great battle, I do not see how it was a contented ending she was severely scarred for many years" she reminded him. She would have cuddled him until the end of time; listening to the soft lull of his voice but Gimli pulled them apart saying that they needed to get moving.

The companions rode in silence along the track that leads seemingly nowhere. The day and night merged together into bleak and cold grey. The mountains sides forever loomed above them, states the warned of evil. Eruanna had often spent her time in places darker than the shadow of this mountain, but something about the endless mist that followed was enough to chill her lifeless heart. If the cold did not kill one of them, something else would she was sure of it. Some great malice lurked in every shadow, waiting, watching.  
"What army would linger in such a place" Gimli grumbled, "One that is cursed" Legolas replied, he looked uneasy, she shivered looking round at the darkening cliffs. There was no life save the black carrion birds that dived on them and spooked her and the horses. There was little wind and yet it was cold. Up ahead there lay a cave entrance so dark it seemed that the world had been swallowed up inside. A cool breeze blew out, followed swiftly by a gale. The horses took flight and fled. "I guess we are alone then" she muttered, although her senses and instincts screamed at her to turn away and follow them. Aragorn faced the gaping mouth, sword drawn, "I do not fear death" he hissed through gritted teeth before being swallowed up into the blackness. Legolas took her hand, glancing at her reassuringly he lead the way. Eruanna sensed Gimli lingering on the outside of the cave. She released her grip on Legolas's hand and went back into the light. "Gimli, Come on, we must hurry, I fear we are not alone". The dwarf hopped from on foot to the other. Finally he sighed, "Well this is a thing unheard of, an Elf will go underground but a dwarf dare not, I'd never hear the end of it" he muttered, before stepping into the black seething darkness. She smiled to herself in amusement before following him back into the tunnel.

She stuck close to Legolas, The darkness was chocking and the tunnels smelt of rot. Being near the elf gave her some relief from the smell. She knew the mortals had legends about her race, about how the senses of her people where better than those of Elves, how her race could smell a drop of blood in valanor. Though highly exaggerated it was true but only true when she was afraid. Mortals feared her, she saw it every day, they would run in terror, though running from a naira was pointless and stupid, it just made it a fun game to her kind, like that of a cat playing with a mouse. Yet it was strange to think that she was more afraid of mortals that they were of her, even dead mortals sent fear through her spine. It was not what they could do to her, that was very little, but what she had done to them. Now hundreds of ghosts stalked her and her companions, wanting their blood

.  
"Eruanna" Legolas whispered, Eruanna jumped out of her thoughts and looked at the elf. His eyes were studying her in the dim light of the torch Aragorn held. "What are you thinking of that makes you look so afraid?"  
"It's this place, brings back memories I'd rather not think of." "What memories? You said yourself that you can't be harmed" he probed. "By those who are living and that is not entirely true in itself, I don't fancy testing if dead people will find it easier to kill me" she replied softly. "My people say that your race was once mortal, is that true" Legolas asked. "I do not need to remind you that orcs where elves once as we were once humans" she replied, shuddering at the tales her nanny had told her. "I'm scared of this of what might happen to us, I know I try and hide it but I am, I'm petrified" she whispered. The elf looked at her in mild surprise. "You are brave Eruanna, it is ok to fear something, I fear things too but like you I find it hard to show it" Legolas murmured taking up her hand again. "But you aren't afraid of your own father" she muttered to herself. He looked at her startled, "No why would anyone be?" "Because I am" she sighed, cursing herself for announcing it in a place full of dead men where more dead things could rise. The memories of her childhood flooded back, the all too clear scene of her father standing over her as she slew everything in her path. One memory in particular was etched into her mind. The day she was sent off to war for the first time and her father followed her in the form of a jackdaw to see that she did not run. "I ran away as a very young girl, Haldir found me in Loren almost starved to death and they sent me home again, the scar on the back of my neck was my punishment for trying to escape." His grip tightened on her hand and she saw his jaw set into an angry clench. What would have followed was interrupted by a rasping voice: "Who enters my domain?"


	29. Chapter 29

_We are no longer a dying breed. Success is in our grasp. Our champion is almost victorious and her humanity almost restored. We shall rule with our king and all shall kneel before us and fear us. We will outlast the end of time until blackness is all that is left. Our little servant so unwilling will be powerless to stop us. She thinks the destruction of the ring will send us home but she is more than wrong. Watch as her nightmare becomes reality and the birds that haunt her become her prison. You really though she had escaped her destiny oh you canny thing! Our victory is at hand and our lands are almost within our grasp again. We will have this land for our own as well or he shall kill her heart. She saved her family once but can she do it again? Will she really have the courage now her mask is all but gone?_

On every side she saw ghosts. They reached out their dead hands to claw at them, their touch more cold than winter. "I summon you to fulfil you pledge" Aragorn demanded. What in Eru's good name was he doing? The ghouls began to laugh. "No one but gondor's king may command me" spat their leader, Legolas shot an arrow at him but it went straight through the greenish mist. It raised its sword to strike Aragorn and she drew her own to defend him but there was no need. Metal clanged upon metal as sure as day chased away the nights. "That blade was broken" the ghost hissed. Aragorn grappled with him before gasping its throat. "Fight for us or remain here for eternity" he spat. The ghosts laughed then began to fade. The man called after them in desperation with Gimli yelling dwarven insults into the air. The walls gave a load crack. Eruanna turned her head to see the fort built into the rock begin to crumble and the skulls of all who had died poured out. "Run!" Gimli cried as the craniums swamped them. They scrambled over the growing mounds desperately trying to reach the exit. Panic rose up inside her as she tripped and was dragged under. To her amazement it was Aragorn who dragged her out. Once free they ran from the path doggedly and threw themselves at the small opening.

She saw the despair in her friends eyes as they staggered out of the tunnels dust spiralling out after them. The dead would not help the living. On the river sailed the ships of more men working for the master of evil. If hope had been lost before what had been robbed of them now? The was a sudden cold chill up her spine and she saw with amazement the gaunt, green figure of the ghost king. "We fight!" the ghost informed Aragorn. Relief suppressed the anger that had bubbled under her skin when the apparition had showed itself. The man bowed his head thankfully before his eyes rested on the ships. "We have little time, there is a small shingle beach not far from here, and there we will board those ships." "We might be too late" Eruanna muttered, Aragorn grabbed her forearm as she began to wander away, "I hope for all our sakes we are not." "I forgot to thank you for helping me earlier, thank you" she mumbled avoiding the steely gaze the mortal was forcing upon her. His grip loosened and he began to laugh. "I accept your thanks, now we have a ship to catch!"

Boarding a ship had never been so easy, surrounded by ghosts the men abroad the vessels where easily over powered and they dumped the bodies over the side. Eruanna scrambled up the mast into the tattered sails to watch the battle in the distance. Down below Aragorn discussed tactics for a few moments then set the ship about. Her nerves began to jumble around inside her as they drew nearer. The horsemen where loosing badly after the invasion of oliphants and where trapped between two armies, high above a singular bird spiralled low, followed by the Nazgûl upon their winged steeds. She could hear the gearing catcalls of the orcs that waited for their boats crew members and she drew her sword before hiding behind the sail. The boat hit the landing point and her companions leaped off, she swung off the rope holding the sail and landed on the shoulders of a nearby orc before slitting its throat. Gimli swung his axe onto the legs of the nearest orc and almost clipped hers. The dead swarmed across the plains, the battle was turning in their favour. She whooped in delight and fell upon another orc smashing his head across a rock before facing another two. Her companions has separated out and where battling groups of orcs furiously. Away in the sky the black crow circled lower. She froze mesmerised in watching it, fear clinging to her like a mist. An orc lunge at her and she knifed it through its belly, trying to ignore the cawing above her head. It dived low over her and she screamed, crouching low to the ground.

**Legolas**

He heard her scream and turned to look over in her direction. A dark bird swooped low above her head calling out over and over. He shot at it but it was too late. She was a high pitched wail came from her mouth and she rocked like an infant on the blood-stained ground. An orc lurched at her but somehow she threw him off ripping and clawing like a feral beast. He ran, shooting a path to try and get to her. She sat staring blankly at the gored face tears streaming down her face. She moaned looking down at her hands as another orc crept up behind. A dwarven axe embedded itself into its back and felled it just in time. She stood mutely and began to wander across the field her eyes transfixed on some unseen thing. "Gimli, stay close to her" Legolas ordered, shooting at another orc. The dwarf nodded and battled his way through another onslaught of orcs. It was a small miracle that she had not yet been harmed. Leaping over the corpse of a dead oliphant he shot arrows in all directions. The battle was fast being won and most of the orcs where fleeing. He scanned the area for his friends and saw Aragorn grappling determinedly with a brutish man. Gimli was swinging his axes but he saw no sign of Eruanna.

**Eruanna**

This is not real, this is just fear. In front of her was a grave. Her name scrawled in spidery letters clearly visible upon it. A raven the size of a man hopped across the crumbling rock croaking at her. "Fight me" its eyes said. She lunged at it wresting it to the floor, its wings tore at her arms and its claws at her face. Her fists did little to stop the claws. She bled profusely and a small voice of her past told her that she was dreaming but it seemed so vivid and real she ignored it. "You wouldn't harm your own father" the crow begged as she got a hold on its neck to snap it. She released it and crawled away on all fours, screams pouring from her mouth. An unseen blow knocked her spiralling and she awoke in a puddle of sticky blood, she rolled over to see a man raising his fist for the second time. She weakly kicked him in the groin and staggered to her feet, digging her nails into his gullet and choking him. Another blow met the back of her skull and sent her sprawling forward again. Again she staggered to her feet, hot liquid trickling down her neck and she let her fist fly into the face of the orc. It kicked her violently in the stomach and gripped her hair shaking her into a dizzy frenzy. She stamped on its foot and it loosened its grip before throwing her several feet. The orc ran at her, and its foot pounded at her body. "I'm going to die" she thought as it dragged her into a kneeling position and caressed her blade down her cheek and under her chin. Defiantly she looked him straight in the eyes; she would not die a humiliating death. Preparing for the blood to pour out of her she clenched her jaw ignoring the pain from the new wound on her face it brought. The blow never came, her lifeblood ebbed from the small grazes but from no deep gash did it pour. Gimli had finally caught up with her and toppled the beast. She felt sick and bent over before vomiting up blood and spittle and the dwarf fended of the last few orcs.

The others ran over and Legolas pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. "What was that?" Aragorn inquired and she hid her face in her lover's tunic shame washing over her. "I think she's had enough Aragorn, she can explain later" Gimli sighed, wiping the blood off his axe on the grass. She tried to stand but her legs shook and she felt weak. The elf scooped her up, kissing her temple before carrying her away from the battle.

The battle was won but all of her courage felt so lost in the mist of her confused thoughts. She sat on the edge of a bed as her cuts were tended to mulling over the raven and its meaning. "You could have been killed" she told herself, "you need help, it's getting worse and you thought it was going away." Her friends visited later and gave her some words of comfort but they felt empty and meaningless. Legolas sat next to her and traced the new scar on her face. "The healer said it will fade in time meleth" he murmured. She said nothing but stared at the opposite wall. "It doesn't look too bad, look" he continued nodding at the mirror in the corner. She did not want to look. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into him. "Speak to me my love, I can't help if you do not say anything" he murmured. She looked up at his face so untouched by the battle that had past. He would not call her beautiful again. She was a ruin, her body had been broken and bruised and she had failed to defend herself. His eyes held pity and concern for her and he kissed her cheek gently. "I would trade places a hundred times over if only I could see you smile" he sighed. She closed her eyes to ignore his silent plea and she felt another vision try and worm its way into her mind. This time she was detached from it and it seemed as though it where memory. There was a large crypt like that of where her father had been buried but it had been broken open. The wall had a message on one of the walls: _Hear my wrath daughter mine. I have come for vengeance_. "Eruanna?" she opened her eyes and kissed him softly. "I'm ok" she lied. She shook his head and bundled her into his arms. She felt a tear escape down her cheek; he cradled her, rocking her, telling her everything she wanted to hear but didn't. "Meleth, would you still love me if I hurt you" she murmured. He froze and kissed her, finally he answered "Yes." "I might have to go away somewhere for a while" she explained. "I won't allow it" he mumbled ensnaring her more securely in his arms.

Her reflection was only half visible in the pale moonlight. Minas Tirith slept soundly as she traced the scar across her bruised cheek. Legolas was curled up on the bed dreaming peacefully but she had no time for rest. With her armour secured upon her frame she wandered over to where he slept before kissing him gently. "Forgive me meleth, I pray we will see each other soon" she murmured before hurrying out of the door and down the winding streets to the stables. She gazed up at the lights from a few of the windows before her eyes settled on the wizard. "You're leaving us I see" he stated. "I hope it will not be for long, I fear all is not well with my own kin and they are in grave danger. Pray tell Legolas that I love him and there was no other way; if there was I would stay" she answered. Then the wizard did something she did not expect: he smiled and took her hand warmly in his. "I wish you a safe journey and all the luck left in this world. I will try to ease the wounds to his heart and will look for your return should you choose to do so. I pray we meet again on more friendly terms" he promised, helping her up onto the horse. "I will return" she replied, spurring on the horse and riding out of the gates across the fields strewn still with battle.


	30. Chapter 30

Starlight cast its fingers down over the flat marshlands surrounding where she lay. Her horse was too tired to continue so she had abandoned it to go on foot. It was a regrettable decision. Progress was slow and the crypts where a long was away from gondor's white city. Nevertheless it was the better of the two options. She could have stayed to be swamped with love and pity, to see out the end of her friends and never know whether there was some truth in the dreams she had or she could face her fears and have her own war. She could not deny she liked the first option better, his love had been stifling at times but she had prized every minute of it. Now far away from his side there was no one to comfort her and love her when she felt afraid. "You were stronger than this once" she told herself gazing up at the stars. "And so you shall be again" the stars called back. Freedom had its high points, she was not followed or spied upon with some form of suspicion and she could be in her element with no one to chide her. She ran the risk of losing her future husband but it would be worth it to save… to save what? Her people? They did not deserve saving for sure but her loyalty was torn and it was all she could do. More to the point she had a sneaking suspicion that they wanted her to stay close to the ring and ignore the happenings that lurked beneath the eaves of fangorn. She had tried but there was an unsettling knot that had been growing in her belly that warned her that she should not ignore what was going on. If the only reason she could think of was that she was a commander and her soldiers needed her she would settle for it. Legolas could wait, he had said he would love her if she did him wrong and it was not a grievous hurt.

After a few hours she rose and continued to wade through stagnant waters and fly infested bog. It was not easy going and dawn grew closer by the time the ground began to firm under her feet. She sat down to empty the water out of her boots, her head throbbed and she felt fervours but it was not uncommon for such deliriums to occur in darker places in the world. After a few seconds she gained some control of the thoughts which were running round in idle circles and knelt in the dust, tracing a small map of the area she was in and all possible options she had. There was an inn nearby on the road that would offer shelter and food but she had no money. "Unless…" she mused looking down at her daggers then at the small light of house in the distance. "Desperate times" she argued as her conscience screamed at her to think, all morality aside she set off in the direction of the small village.

The settlement was larger than she had expected and she decided the best way to proceed was to change her form into something less conspicuous. Down a dark alley she undressed and hid her clothing under a small hole in a wall. Now naked in the moonlight she heard the first of her bones crack and split and her body changed. Through new grey eyes she trotted on four paws round the houses without being cast a second glance. There was a reasonably larger house with what seemed to be servants in the centre of the community and her wolves eyes rested for some time upon it debating wheatear she was hungry or not. After a few moments thought the paws that did not seem her own dragged her up the front and round to an open window. Jumping up on the chill was easy and she scrambled into what seemed to be the pantry. There were a few legs of meat on the stand which the wolf devoured ravenously before she gained control over its instincts again and drove it into the cellar. There were some old mattered clothes that where about her size and she changed back to try them on. Once she found the kitchen knives she went in search of the houses occupant. After being so long supressed under the watchful eyes of Aragorn it made a great sport searching for life within the building. She could of course take what she needed and leave but the part of her know solely to others as Eris came alive and meddled with her mind. She found him sitting in an arm chair by the fire, stocky and over fed he would not make much of a challenge. Thirst drove her to creep up behind and drink him dry before gathering up what wealth he had and running from the house utterly ashamed. Once back in her usual clothes she sat in the ally retching with disgust at what she had done. Control was a thing that naira had to be taught and her father had never done so, yet this relapse in madness was strange. There where screams filling the night air and she knew what would come next. Torches and knives like hunters chasing a fox. Gathering herself together she slipped away into the dawn towards the little inn.

It was midday when she reached the small inn on the side of the road. Its sign hung limply from one of its chains and its stone work had seen better days but the people where welcoming and had a story to tell so she stayed. She was served a large amount of bread and ale but asked no questions of her business by the owners. There were a few glances from other tenants but nothing unusual. A young man followed her soon after and joined her at her table. Soft copper hair and bight grey eyes gaze at her across the small table. By the looks of him he had met some unsavoury folks upon his journey for his uniform was speckled black with sludgy droplets. It could be mud but it was unlikely, he seemed the sort to keep clean. "I thought naira had fangs" he said finally. She glared at him and said nothing. After a few moments he looked at her food hopefully and she passed him some of it. He thanked her and devoured it with gusto. "What brings you so far this way" she asked. "Orcs killed my sweetheart" he muttered bitterly. "Ah, thought so." He stared at her, "It is custom to say im sorry" he reprimanded her. "I didn't do it so I have nothing to feel sorry for" she retorted. He studied her for a few moments, "Do you have a lover somewhere and I imagine you do with a face like that." Her stomach knotted and she looked down at her hands, "I left him to deal with some business, we were to marry" she whispered. His brown knotted in confusion and he took a swig of ale from her mug. "I imagine this business is to do with your kind joining with the enemy" he enquired. "What? When did this occur?" "Some days ago we had word in our fort that naira had been spotted around Mordor then a scout told us that their king had sided with the enemy and his people are too afraid to fight him" the man explained. She felt sick, her people fighting with sauron? Why then have her try and destroy the ring unless she would send it into the enemy's grasp. "Are you alright you look pale…" the man asked, she nodded and tried to changed subject but the man continued "you clearly didn't even know that they were planning to go to war so I will not behead you." His eyes twinkled with amusement, she swigged at more of the ale and began to converse with him on other matters such as the recent events that had brought them to an inn in the middle of nowhere.

It grew late and they laughed and drank till they could not stand, the man then retired leaving her alone again. How long in the dark unquiet known would she have to live before the truth was revealed, before her mind was fully her own? If her people fought against her friends then there would be a massacre on both sides. "Naira don't die easily" she told herself, ordering ale to quench the ache in her heart. She had learnt from the man that her brother was fully recovered and out for vengeance. The armies of men where growing in numbers and her regiment had vanished without a trace on a hunting trip. That new stung the most, those who she had considered her true family had simply abandoned her. She would have asked them for their aid and pray their loyalties where as strong as they had often claimed. Twenty five of Termoree's best warriors did not just disappear and she knew that something was very wrong. If war had broken out and sides had been formed within the city walls, they would not only be fighting the free peoples but themselves. It was possible that they had done as she had done and rid to fake her death, it had lasted a short while before pride and some small degree of vanity had got the better of her. Horse's hooves clattered on the cobbles outside and made her look hopefully to the door and a dark cloaked figure stomped in, she watched with interest before covering her face with her hood. The figure stank of blood and sweat even from where she sat it was still very pungent. "Naira? My kin?" she thought sniffing herself involuntarily. The figure vaulted the nearest table and sat down opposite her, demonic red eyes glittering from below a rain soaked hood. More figures in similar garb entered and the inn keeper frowned and gave her an odd look as they sat near her. They were most defiantly her kind. The cloaks bore the symbol of her own house but she wasn't sure why. The one who had first entered lowered her hood and Eruanna grasped her blade before launching it at the throat of the woman (for she was in fact female.) "You bastards" she snarled, "you let me think you had been killed, you bloody bastards!"

"It's nice to see you too" laughed the woman she had the dagger to, "Dreger, would you care to explain to our wonderful commander why we are here before she slits my gullet?" The others lowered their hoods grinning, Dreger who had lunged out of the way staggered to his feet, "Once you release my beloved wife Eruanna I might begin to explain why we are here." "If you want me to apologise to Carlis it is never going to happen" Eruanna hissed through gritted teeth as she settled back in her seat. "You never where the 'sorry' type" Carlis laughed, picking herself up of the floor. The others sniggered and allowed Dreger to begin his explanation. "You darling brother sent us to make sure you where okay. Apparently you were fighting sauron's forces and he went to check up on you and assure you he was not dead. Instead he met with a very heartbroken elf who told him you had snuck away during the night of some top secret assignment you had no intention of telling anyone about. Naturally as your very close friends we decided to track you down. You're getting lazy I might add, it was ridiculously easy." "Did he say how Legolas was?" Dreger frowned at her and shook his head, "So it is true? You have fallen for him" Carlis asked. She felt a weak smile pass her lips and saw a few disapproving looks being passed around the group. "This isn't about who I'm in love with. This is about war, I have heard of my uncle's choice and I need to put a stop to it before middle earth is torn to shreds. If you choose to come with me we will be committing treason on a high scale. We will be fighting for truth not safety but my friends we will be fighting and all will cower before the finest warriors this land had ever seen." Her friends cheered and raised the ale in a toast. The door burst open and Devae strode in, his wild eyes glowing in the candle light, her comrades went silent and looked down at their hands. He walked over to where she sat and picked up a flagon before asking: "When do we start, little sister?"


	31. Chapter 31

The straw of the mattress dug into her back and her brothers snores kept her awake though her body begged for rest. She lay awake watching her friends sleep peacefully in the small room they had managed to pay for with the gold they had left. Not all twenty five of them had decided to stay; ten had made excuses and had gone of hunting for food but the ones she was closet to had insisted on staying with her. Her thoughts drifted to her change of companions, a dwarf who was nothing like her mother had warned her of. A man who had seen the world and she had grown to respect. A wizard that was so unpredictable she had begun to enjoy his company. The hobbits who even in the worst of times could make her smile and the elf; that foolish elf who had stayed by her side even when he had seen the darkness in her heart and what her mind had become. That elf who had conquered her stone heart that none had even warmed before. She got up off the bed and went over to the small window, out across the lands was a city of men. Those men would rise to become the greatest of all. She wondered if he did the same and gazed up at the stars and across the plains seeking something that he too had lost. She wondered if the halflings gave her a thought whilst the wizards taught them about the history of the world. She wondered if the ranger had begun to trust her before she left. She wondered then if she would ever see them again to hear their laughter, the tales they had to tell and his soft voice telling her she was not what she believed herself to be.

In time they would forget her if she did not return, he would mend his heart and marry one of his own kind; the captain of the guard he had spoken of in Rivendell would make a fine wife for a prince. If she did return she could not hope that all would be forgotten. There was blood under her nails and she picked at it as she watched the moon sigh. Such forlorn hopelessness she had never felt before. She had never known what it was to hope for a better life and so she hadn't. Now she had a taste for a different world and she wanted more than the everyday slaughter that she endured, the killing and constant violence; the days filled with routine training exercises and planning for war; the nights filled with what could or could never be. Anything would be better than to stay amongst her kin who would one day set upon one another until there was only one left. To be free of the brutal lifestyle that was normal for all of her race and to settle down away from fear of punishment and death was a dream that had almost been real. "But it was a dream" she sighed.

"Only if you let it stay a dream." She snapped her head round to see Carlis sitting on her bed watching her. "You may be my commander but you are still younger than me Eruanna" Carlis reminded her, "I know the look of a wistful heart." She looked back to the moon and heard her friend get up before coming to stand next to her. "I also know when someone cannot sleep for fear of the dreams that follow." Eruanna looked at the older woman and smiled weakly. "There was a time when killing was second nature to me. I didn't care who got hurt so long as I was okay, now it seems age and experience has punished me with an illness none can cure, there are times when I am trapped in my own mind and I relive battles and other experiences I wish I could forget." she explained. Carlis nodded, "But that is not the reason you left, there is something bigger going on and you secretly want to know what it is." "I had a dream that I was dead. Upon my grave stood a crow and it bore the crown. This world burned and our kind walked among the many others who had died but when I reached the sea to go home I could not cross and we were trapped. Then I saw Termoree burn too and the crow spread its wings and devoured both our world and this. There are some amongst our kind who want nothing more than power over even the gods and they will stop at nothing to get it. We are headed to the one place I wished never to go. We are going to the final resting place of my father and there we will wage our war" she answered calmly.

They stood together watching the sun rise upon the hills and yawning before stretching its limbs across the hills and valleys. At last her friend asked: "Tell me about him, the one who holds your heart." Eruanna traced the window pane and fumbled at the pendant she carried around her neck. "He is the son of king Thranduil, we met as children. He taught me about the woods and the world and I thought him all the skills of the sword though he has improved since we last met. He loved history and so did I; we were inseparable throughout our childhood. Then I had to go to war, I returned when his mother died and visited him every so often to make sure he was safe and well. He had a way of reading my mind and would often wind me up for many years I had no word of him and then we met in Rivendell and I experienced feelings that I never knew existed. I think his dwarven friend advised him to speak of his own feelings to me the he asked me to marry him. Even after all I have done… he still cared for me and I left him for something that may not be real." As she told Carlis of her love she found herself weeping openly and the older woman pulled her into a comforting embrace. "You will see him again and if he does truly love you, you will be forgiven. I have known you since you were but a swaddling in the cradle and your judgments have often been well chosen" Carlis argued. Eruanna nodded and mopped away the tears before blushing, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't burden you with my woes." The older woman shook her head smiling. "Get the others up Carlis; we have a long ride ahead of us."

The day was almost scorching hot under the chainmail but they did not stop till well after midday to cool off. Eruanna pulled out maps of the surrounding area and explained the rout they would take. It would be midnight by the time they reached the caves and she did not want to arrive when they would be seen, so she decided to take a route through several villages to spread out their journey. Something felt ill when they passed through the first village. Distrust filled the faces of all the people, great pyres had been built around the edge. A man spat at one of the horses and its rider snarled defiantly back. "You aren't welcome here vile beasts" snapped a woman as they rode out of the settlement. "What was that about" Devae asked. "I don't know… I think we might be about to find out thought" Eruanna muttered, halting her horse at the small group of peasants waiting at the far end of the bridge.

"Which one of you murdered our master?" Demanded the eldest man. "_That_ is a pointless question to ask, we do not know who your master is" Eruanna snapped. The man stepped up to look her in the eyes, she held her breath. "Our master was found bled dry in his home near the marshes surrounding the town" The man spat. "Ah…" Eruanna muttered. Her comrade's eyes turned on her in shock; "So much for the legendary restraint of Lady Eruanna" she heard her brother whisper to Carlis. "It was you, was it?" The man hissed. "I might have had a little nibble" she sighed. "Here we have a solder sworn to protect and yet she goes around killing" the man bellowed. "Eruanna, on your horse now" Devae ordered. "No, no, I'm curios to what punishment they have in store for me, please feel free to continue" she answered, grinning as two men tackled her and dragged her to a nearby tree. By the tree stood a man with a whip. "Shame, I thought you would have a better punishment than that, I got two hundred lashed for saying please when I was a child" she told one of her captors. He grunted in mild amusement and ordered her to remove her chainmail. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her friends draw their swords, she shook her head. It would not do to start a war with a few peasants. "Her hair will be in the way… cut it off" ordered one of the men. The heard the snip of sheers as they attacked her hair. Her hangs where tied to the tree and the whip set across her back. She gritted her teeth and did not scream. This time she would not show her pain to anyone; this time she would not be weak.

From where her friends stood they would have easily killed the men but they watched in confused silence as their leaders flesh was torn open. She remained calm and even began to laugh and encourage them. Her hair now short was jagged and she looked like some wild creature that man would never tame. Suddenly her hands broke free and she smashed the nearest man's head against the tree. The other men fled and she picked up her belongings and sauntered over to them, climbing back on her horse grinning. "Always fancied doing that" she laughed, rubbing her dislocated shoulder before twisting it back into its socket. "Your hair…" one of her comrades said, "It will grow, besides, I think it will surprise my betrothed when we meet again don't you think" she giggled, turning the horse around and setting their course in the direction of the tomb.


	32. Chapter 32

**Devae**

"I know why you did it. You don't have to punish yourself" Devae argued. His sister smiled grimly at him and absentmindedly rubbed her bruised shoulder. She hadn't bothered to put her chainmail back on so the bruises on her arms where becoming very visible and her back was seeping blood though she would not allow it to be looked at. They all knew she would harm herself when she thought they weren't watching, they all knew of the nightmares she suffered. They had all shared a barracks with her and all had been woken up by her screaming some unknown language. Her hair was growing quicker than she would have liked in the past few days and was already at shoulder length. At least her betrothed would never know what she had done. When he had seen the elf he had seen sorrow in his eyes but there had been hope too. He saw the same look now in his sister's eyes, the cold determination she had always carried was becoming stronger the closer they got to the crypts. He never knew what love really felt like, his marriage was a decent one but he did not love his wife. He had loved once but she had died what a plague spread through the city and he guarded his heart from everything and everyone. He had thought when his sister had vowed a life of chastity it was because she loved her work, now he saw it was because she loved someone who she may never be with. He did not know why they were going to the catacombs none of them did. Whatever she was doing they had total faith that it was the right thing to do.

**Eruanna**

Despite the pain in her back and the loss of what she considered her only decent feature she felt reasonably optimistic. The wind had picked up and it was pleasantly cool, her brother had given up on asking questions and had retreated into his thoughts presumably to moon over his lost suitors and failing marriage. Their destination as near and the cliff top insight. All laugher was quelled and all talk stopped as the great rock heaved up into the sky. "What the dwarf would give to see this" Eruanna thought. The rocks where indeed of some foreign grandeur, great statues carved into the jagged stone. Between them there was a small entrance surrounded by decaying flowers. Men avoided this place, naira feared it. It was the place where those who had died in the revolts years ago had been buried and some said that they never really slept. They dismounted and crept nearer, covering their faces to block out the rotten smell. The chamber they stepped into was jet black; she held out her hand and allowed the small flame to flicker from it. The small light cast a dim shadow over the rust walls. "How are we to fight when we cannot see" said one of the youngest. "Magic Learnsa, magic and skill, we are the highest ranking guards in the whole of Termoree, darkness is our friend" Eruanna answered. A few of the others also lit flames and soon the room was filled with orange light. "There's no tunnel…" Devae whispered. "Not yet there isn't, the stories about this place say that black magic holds this tomb shut… so black magic will open it" she answered, running her hands over the back of the cave. "Devae, pass me my dagger…" Devae handed her the dagger from her belt and stepped back. She cut into her palm and breathed the blood across the stone. It travelled up the cracks forming the outline of a door. "There is a riddle at the top…" Carlis muttered. "I've seen something like this before on moria's gate, you say the answer to the riddle and it will open" Devae whispered. "Very good little brother… but none of us read elvish."

The stared long and hard at the words; trying desperately to decipher them. "I thought you grew up with elves, did you never bother to speak their tongue" Devae complained. "I learnt bits of their language but I never bothered to learn to read it" she snapped back. "Yet you are supposed to be marrying one" sniggered Carlis and several others began to laugh.

"There are four brothers in this world that where all born together. The first runs and never tires. The second eats and is never full. The third drinks and is always thirsty. The fourth sings a song that is never good." The voice was soft as liquid silver but it stung a bitter cold within her soul. "Tûrwethiel" she muttered. From the shadows came the tattered witch, her black dress torn and tattered against her pale skin. Her comrades drew their swords and waited for the command to strike. "Hello sister" Tûrwethiel giggled. Devae moved to stand beside his twin, the two brad swords gripped tightly in his hands. "What do you want traitor" Carlis spat. "We're all traitors her. After all, we are all committing treason" Tûrwethiel retorted. "You wanted a riddle. I gave you the riddle, now little sister, figure it out." Eruanna frowned and followed the letters with her eyes. How long had she been here to figure it out. She didn't know the answer or else she wouldn't need to ask for her help. "Come on, I know you're smarter than you think you are." Tûrwethiel hurried. "Fire… the second is fire…" There was a soft click like a blot being drawn. "The fourth… is wind." There was another click. "Earth, air, fire and water" Eruanna decided. The doors swung open. Tûrwethiel grinned, "Lead the way little sister, after all this is your rebellion."

Whatever madness had driven them to the tombs was forgotten when they reached the resting place of the fallen. Tomb after tomb stretched out as far as the eye could see. On a raised platform there stood one casket. Its sides cast with gold and its lid of pure ruby. "There lies our beloved father" she heard her sister sigh. "I wouldn't be so sure" Eruanna muttered. Their feet rang out in the cool still air, light reflected down from ever burning lamps high in the celling casting shadows across the white marble. The turned to the tomb of their king and she climbed the steps. Her brother pushed the heavy jewelled lid back to reveal the cold rock casing. Where the stone lid should have been there was rubble. "Check the other tombs now" Eruanna ordered. Her friends scurried from one to the next, prying off the lids to find them empty. "Corpses don't just vanish" Tûrwethiel hissed. "No, they don't, there are few who have such power but I think we can all guess who would do this." She assured her sister. "You mean our uncle would raise every corpse in this place just to defeat a few men? How should we look in the eyes of Eru then? Does he wish for us to remain trapped in this land?" Devae snarled. "I don't know…" Eruanna began, her eyes resting back on the coffin her father should have lain in. With a start a black rook fluttered up out of the casket and at on the edge. She reached out her hand steadily, attempting to ignore the panic swimming round her mind. In the birds memories she saw a great dark wave spread across the catacomb, then skeletal soldiers rose from their thumbs and bowed down to their king. She wrenched her hand away and shaking turned to look at her friends. "From this day forth, all those who will follow me will wage war upon our own kind. From this moment onwards there will be no rest until the king is dead and the true bloodline restored to power. All those who will not follow me leave now" she announced. No one moved, no one spoke a word. Not even Tûrwethiel argued, she was the first to speak, "I think little sister, it is time for a new king. One who is fair and just in his actions. I think sister; we all will follow you until the end, be it in fire or in ice. We will die at your side."


	33. Chapter 33

**Legolas**

_My beloved__,_

_I write this now with a heavy heart in the hope that one day, should you come looking for me, you shall learn of my final battle, and you shall know that duty alone tore me from your side. You must know that I will always love you in a way that words cannot describe, I could use all the ink in the world to try and describe my love for you but it could never be enough. I hope that you know that I hope to return to you, but fortune may not be so kind, as you know it has never been kind to me in the past. You always were my best fortune. If I die, I hope to join the many stars so you may search among them and find me, watching over you in death as I wished to in life. It pains me to write these words as I remember the hope you have me and the love we shared, I pray I shall once again find myself in your arms. I also pray that you can forgive my deceit as you have done so many times before. I saw you in my dreams last night, you held me in your arms once more and I held our child. I wept for you and the pain I carry with me for leaving you behind. I so wish to return to you, but there is evil in these lands and I am not young enough or ignorant enough to think myself indestructible._

_Heart, I wish now as the long night awaits me to have you back at my side, I want to hear you laugh again and not the cold whisper in the trees. I know so long as you breathe your warm breath in this world I will have a reason to keep living. Yesterday I had some hope that my sister is returned to me and I think there is yet some good in this world. I know you will say I am too trusting and perhaps I am but better that than what I once was. My gentle one; I think the dwarf would like it here, there are large rocks with carvings bigger than any I have seen before, they make me feel so small and insignificant. I know you shall be grieved to learn how far I am away from you and I must ask you to think of me warmly, there is far too much sorrow for you to grieve my absence._ _Remember I am not alone, for I always carry you with me in my heart, and i am not too discontented, though this ink may become smudged by my tears._

_If all this war were to end, I should not know what to do with myself, my companions would struggle__also. Our legacy is one of war and we know nothing else. However you, my dear one, belong in a land of peace and freedom, you do not belong in war. Should I die, I hope you will move on with your life, never to forget but thinking of me as a fond memory. I shall be thinking of you to get through these next few days. I shall often think of you as my first kiss, and as my last. I would be lying if I said I that I hoped it would not be the same for you, I would be insincere if I said I wanted you to love someone as I have loved you. But, my treasure, if I die I will hold no grudge for you or for the one who will, in time, mend your heart. I only wish for you to be happy. You once told me that attraction was falling for someone of your likeness but I think on it now and I believe attraction to be us. For we are so different yet our souls are the same in many ways. In such a way, I believe attraction to be recognising something in a soul which you hold close in your own. _

_In my mind I think I see you smile, I like to imagine so. If not then I ask you to remember the first time you held me in your arms and called me love... you must be smiling now. The dreams I suffer are not so bad of late and I imagine that my fears are lessening but I know it will not last. I think, when this is over, I should like to learn to sing or dance or even play the harp. Now I hear you say "where have you taken my Eruanna?" and I shall tell you that I am dreaming a song up in my head, for you. _

_There is a young foal in the stable from which I write to you, he reminds me so much of the one your father gave you. But now my mind wanders and I am short of words to express myself to you. I pray you forgive my writing; I never did learn to write properly. I need you to know, whether we meet again in this life or the next, I will always be yours. _

_Your sweetheart__, _

_Eruanna__._

"You alright laddie?" grunted Gimli from beside him. He read through the letter that had arrived this morning in the talons of a buzzard. It was her scrawling handwriting, smudged and stained but it was hers. The dwarf nudged him wanting a response but he said nothing. He knew all the dwarf would see would be the calm mask that hid the searing pain within him. "I'm fine Gimli" he said at last, beginning to fold up the parchment. "Can I see it?" his friend asked gently. He looked at the piece of paper than at the worried expression on his friends face. "Later Gimli" he sighed before running up the battlements to gaze out across the flat lands surrounding Minas Tirith. His friend followed and traced his gaze out across the green grey landscape. "I don't know what to do Gimli, I could write back, that bird is still here" Legolas murmured, fondling the corners of the paper. The dwarf smiled and took the letter from him; he read it carefully before handing it back. "What would make you feel better?" The dwarf asked finally. Legolas watched the as the riders cantered around the outer wall, his friend did not require an answer this time.

**Gimli**

His friend seemed to be tearing himself apart and for once Gimli had no words to help or soothe him. Much of what needed to be said would only anger the elf and what should never be said would upset him. At first when the wizard had told him that she had gone he had refused to believe it, then he had accepted it. Now he was breaking from the separation and loneliness she had left behind. Elves where no good at coping with loss, they did not have to, theirs was a life that lasted for an eternity. The letter he held in his hand now had given him some desperate hope and though reason scorned him for it; love begged him to keep searching the horizon every day for a figure to ride across the plains. "She will come back Gimli, she always comes back" Legolas told him, turning away from the wall. It was no easy task keeping up with the elf's long strides and Gimli found it a small but pleasing challenge when he achieved it. They ended up in gondor's library where he saw the elf searching for an unknown book. When at last he found it, he flicked briskly though it before finding some parchment and a quill and copying some ornate text before settling toe book back on its shelf. He peered at the parchment but Legolas snatched it away. They then went in search of the bird that had brought about the sudden change in the elf's mood. Once the bird with its message had been released he heard a delicate breath being released from his friend's lips and a small smile passed over them. "What trickery makes you smile so?" Gimli inquired. "Merely a memory master dwarf, though I am not inclined to share it" his friend answered. Such an answer left Gimli swimming with questions and he ran after Legolas bellowing, only to hear a small laugh drift back to him on the wind.

**Eruanna**

They had been eating the last of the bread when a familiar bird landed on a tree branch nearby. To her surprise it had a letter attached to its leg. She checked her friends were suitable occupied she climbed up the branches and retrieved the parchment from its claws. She opened it slowly, on it where the words of a book she had once read. _Beyond this moment of discord the oceans whisper, after the rain of evening your lover wanders under a cloudless sky of twilight of which the poets speak, in the lagoon of memory the words I forgive you and ask only one thing: return soon my love._ It could be a mistake but she prayed that it was not, the bird could have gotten lost but she recognised the writing in which it was scribbled.

"Eruanna, are you going to cook this rabbit or are you going to play elf again?" Grenla, the youngest lieutenant, called up to her. Eruanna tucked the parchment into her tunic and scrambled down the tree to the bottom. The rabbit had been all ready for cooking though she was not grateful for it; it was a task that she preferred to do herself. "If we don't catch something else soon I might have to eat your brother" Grenla complained, forcing the broth down. "I tried my best but there is little in this landscape to eat unless you fancy orc" she snapped back, the other woman shuffled closer to Devae and her brother gave the young lieutenant a quizzical look. "Don't worry she doesn't usually bite" he whispered. Grenla gave her an uneasy look before turning back to her meal. "You're new, you will get used to her changes in mood" Carlis assured her, shooting Eruanna a warning glance. "I might remind you that I am your captain and commander, do not give me that look" Eruanna snapped, getting up and fetching the horse's oats. "What's wrong with her?" whispered Tûrwethiel. "I believe she is suffering from a broken heart" Devae sighed. She ignored them and set about feeding each horse. Her mind set on the task at hand soon forgot her heartache for a small while. The kind and gentle nature of the horses made her own self feel tranquil but they stirred painful memories also. She rested her forehead into her horse's neck to hide the stinging trickle of salty water escaping her eyes. Tomorrow they would recruit an army of their own but for the rest of the present they could only talk of a future that may or may not be.


	34. Chapter 34

Smoke and sweat wafted through the air of the inn, its blackened wood creaked and groaned under the weight of the water pouring onto its roof. There was a small fire in the corner and candles held by black iron holders. Great brutes of men sat in the centre of the room and round the edge sat hooded figures, whispering in low voices in anticipation of what was to come. Eruanna stood in the doorway letting the rain soak over her, soaking her hair so that it stuck to her face and making the chain mail turn to an icy temperature. Her eyes scanned the darkness for any sign of movement. It was too warm in the tavern so she stood now the rain washing over her with her face turned upwards to the sky. Such cold was not unusual but tonight she did not mind it, it was worth it for what she sought. The spot where the shackled roadhouse stood was secluded and hard to find, it was perfect cover for an act of defiance. Idly she fingered the edge of a dagger she held in her hand. Her thoughts where elsewhere and not on the task she was supposed to perform.

Eventually there was a small rustle in the trees and a tall, heavily built man stepped out. "Welcome son of Etura" she greeted. He bowed and clasped his fist to his heart, then followed her into the warmth. Once seated the man ordered ale and then handed her the scroll he had been carrying. She checked the maps over for any missing gates then passed it to her brother. "This is our old city before we settled in fangorn. It is likely this is where those wretches are camped. I have asked Jaracas to join us and he had offered ten thousand of his best. We will still be out numbered but we have surprise on our side and we are far better trained for this then those walking corpses ever where" she explained hurriedly. "We are going to attack twenty five thousand corpses with ten thousand live Naira? Are you mad?" Gratis exclaimed. "What hope do we have, we will either be killed in battle and a brutal death it will be but there will be pride as we die because we will die together or we will be murdered as we sleep so my uncle can retain power" Eruanna snapped. "You are our captain, we trust your judgment only we question what it is based on" Carlis reasoned. "It is based on the many innocent lives that will be lost if we do nothing, my friends could be amongst them but I do not think only of them. Do not question me on this; that is an order" she replied coldly. The older woman bowed and said nothing else on the matter; she turned back to making conversation with her siblings.

Agreements soon became heated in the group as more members put their ideas forward. After about half an hour she tired of the bickering and slipped away and out into the rain once more. There was nothing to see but the saying of trees in the violent wind, the rain had all but stopped and it fell in a weak drizzle. She wandered to the stables to keep herself from getting drenched but stopped when she heard voices. "That's right, the queen of the naira, what a woman she was… until I stabbed her through the neck and left her to bleed" one man said, she rounded the corner to see a face she had not seen for many years. She stopped and pressed herself against the wall to listen, hand clutching the hilt of the small dagger her mother had been murdered with. "So you had your way with her then killed her?" the other man asked, she peered round the catch a whiff of the same repulsive smell from long ago. "Aye, I was after the daughter but the little thing is as slippery as an eel so her mother had to do, I still have a scar from where the bitch got me with her knife, here I kept the blade as a reminder, see how it glitters in the light?" the first man taunted. "I heard that the family had been killed in a siege?" the second asked. "Oh no, the green eyed imp survived, it seems she had alliances with the elves and they sheltered her till she grew into a brilliant soldier, I however have tracked her down" answered the first. "Are you sure it's her, fully fledged naira have red eyes?" his companion protested. "It's defiantly her, she has the mark on the back of her neck and the mark of her house too if you look at her arm you will see it burnt into the skin" crowed the man. His friend began to laugh and congratulate him, "So, he's a man with a naira for a father or mother or else I am hallucination" she muttered, her palm slipping on the blade handle with sweat. A bitter rage was seething trough her body, bile rising in her throat. She wanted him dead but two against one so near a tavern was risky. The man's companion went back inside and the man began to saunter closer, singing to himself. She drew the dagger and grabbed his arm pulling him round to face her. "Well, well, aren't you a pretty thing…" he began to struggle, "You want to play do you?" she spat, "Two thousand years, how is it a man can live so long" she hissed, pressing the cold steel to his jugular. "I think you have made some mistake" the man stammered licking his lips nervously. "Answer me filth" she snarled. "My mother was one of your inbred kind, my father was mortal." She dug the blade deeper into his skin watching the first few droplets of blood stem from the greasy neck. "You wouldn't harm your own kind would you?" he pleaded. "Oh, I think we both know that I would" she growled, the man squeezed his eyes shut and began to pray. There as a strange feeling within her. Glee. She was feeling glee but it was not the only feeling. It seemed an empty victory; it would not bring her mother back. "This is your blade, the once you used to kill my mother… not wit will be your doom" the reminded him, digging the knife deeper into his skin. The flesh tore open as she severed the vital arteries and warm hot fluids poured out. "Remember my face monster. Remember it when you burn in hell" she said coldly letting him fall to the floor and wrath as his life blood left him.

There was a shout of alarm from behind her and she wheeled found, the bloody dagger still gripped in her hand. His companion stood frozen in terror and anger at the sight of his friend gasping for air as he died. Eruanna didn't want a fight. She walked back to the door before the man screamed and ran at her knocking her and the door to the ground. She threw him off her and staggered to her feet. The bar was silent, staring at a crimson coloured girl wilding a dripping dagger. She backed over to her comrades who also drew their swords. The man who had attacked her bellowed and lunged at her before impaling himself on Devae's knife. Several other men advanced and she hurled a tankard at the nearest. The owner had already retreated and his son began to cheer "Fight, fight" before his father quietened him. The boy got what he wanted. Plates were thrown in all directions, ale was wasted and several tables smashed as people threw each other across them. Eruanna stood on the bar top smashing china over anyone who came to close, her weapons having been lost under a mass of angry tenants. Her brother skilfully duelled four oversized drunks with one hand whilst finishing his ale with the other. The young lieutenant Gratis grappled a man twice her size throwing punches at such a rate that the poor man had little time to defend himself. Carlis sat on a nearby stood tripping up anyone who strayed from the fight, laughing at the chaos around her. Her husband rolled out more ale from the cellar and succeeded in toppling several of their own troops. "Is this normal for you guards? A tavern fight?" asked Jaracas who had been forgotten in the confusion. "I would be lying if I said no" Eruanna answered stabbing a man with a fork. Surprisingly Jaracas grinned and swung his foot at a brawny woman who had decided to join the fight. Bedlam rained down thought the inn, some of the fighting had been taken outside and flashes of fire lit up the windows before men came screaming into the inn to pour water over their burning clothes. The fight was interrupted by the arrival of an unexpected visitor. Elrénia stared in horror at her siblings who stood back to back battling their opponents with and assortment of cutlery.

"What I the king's good name is going on" she bellowed. There was silence amongst the naira and the men froze at the cold voice of the Narian queen. "Entertainment dear sister and good ale" Devae answered, gulping the rest of his ale down and dropping the tankard on the floor. It clattered noisily and several of their friends cringed and stepped backwards. "I hear tidings that there is another rebellion on the way yet I find its leaders drinking and fighting and my own sister to be the cause of so much disorder throughout our lands" Elrénia said her eyes scanning the room. Eruanna stepped down off the table and walked right up to her sister. The two of them squared one another up. "You stink of blood" Elrénia spat finally. "I've been busy" her sister replied, "It seems I have been more than busy if you came here to see me." "Don't be too flattered, the king sent me to warn you all to return or be charged with treason. You will all hang unless you come away with me" the queen answered. Murmurs broke out across the group before Carlis stepped forward, "With all due respect you highness, we are staying here." Elrénia's face grew very pale and she stepped past Eruanna. "You are in the company of a traitor and you deny my pardon?" "Actually sister, we are all traitors here, even you" Devae snapped. "Very well, you are no longer welcome to come home, if we catch you we will kill you, I pray that you are not for I don't wish to lose my only living siblings" Elrénia announced before storming out. There was a collective sigh of relief when the horse's hooves died down. "We ride for the old city now. We do not stop until we know what is going on" Jaracas hissed. Quickly blades where picked up and wounds checked, they hurried about checking they had supplies before leaving the tavern and passing the corpse of the bloodied man. She regretted nothing. His grim face glared up at her with unseeing eyes. "That could be us soon" someone whispered. It was all too true, within a week they could all be dead.


	35. Chapter 35

It was cold upon the moor side but Eruanna refused any blankets; blankets gave warmth and warmth provided a need to sleep. Her companions now deeply in sleep and her own sleep interrupted by two raven's sitting close by she decided upon working out more tactics for their battle to come. It had already been decided that an army marching across the wilderness would be far too noticeable so they would travel in small groups to near where the battle would take place. She soon discovered when two of her worst nightmares sat directly above her, watching all she was doing, it would not be easy to concentrate. How far would you go to protect your family? It was a question may ask each other. There had never been a doubt to the answer a naira would give. I would kill for them was the usual answer but she did not feel that way. Truth be told she would end up killing them rather than the threat. She watched her brother's chest rise and fall and looked away. In a similar time and place she had watched a brother similar to him lie in a crib with its little chest rising and falling. Then it had stopped. Its little face turned an unhealthy white as it had struggled to breath. The crimson then had easily washed away. The crown prince of Termoree has been assassinated by the court jester or that was the official statement. The true events had never been known. A five year old princess's word had been the only truth.

She removed a dagger from her belt and traced the scars up her arm with it. "I'm a murderer" she whispered. Her betrothed never knew how far she had fallen into the darkness. He was so innocent to what really happened behind her uncles palace doors. So where many of his own people. Plots and ploys, cruel torture and deception. She had just carried out the orders, there was no point lying to herself that she wasn't Eris; she was she was born to that name but she didn't want to be. Eruanna looked up at the clouded sky and prayed her life be taken from her. Her brother's eyes fluttered open and she dropped the dagger. Devae was no fool; he snatched it from her grasp without a word before binding the shallow cuts. When he had finished he simply said "Eruanna. This isn't you, be strong little sister." "I am not called Eruanna, my name is Eris" she whispered. "No, you are my sister Eruanna, not something our father used to get his own way, Eris is gone remember and so has all the problems she suffered from." She nodded at her brother, "So I shouldn't be scared of birds and I shouldn't have nightmares about what I have done because that was Eris." Her brother smiled and lifted her down cast face with his finger, "No little sister, you are stronger and fiercer than Eris and you are a good person, she was the killer with no soul who suffered mentally because of it, you are Eruanna the bravest warrior that these lands will ever know, you were once sad little Eris but you outgrew her now be valiant little sister. Let Eris go." She smiled meekly and pretended to agree with him, "Eris and I… we are the same person, Eruanna is an older Eris and without Eris there would be no Eruanna" she thought as her brother commanded her to rest and took over from her.

Spider threads caught at her face, a sign that no-one had been there yet or if they had it had been a while since anyone had been visiting. It was utterly dark and there was nothing but an iron cast door standing in the darkness. She felt for the lock in the obscure mist but found none. There was no handle or no lock nothing to open it. The locked door fascinated and puzzled her, she wanted to see beyond the soft smoke that wound its way around her but there seemed no way through. She pulled her dagger from her belt only to watch it fall to dust in her hand. There was a soft grey light coming from beyond the door and she pressed herself against it. The light began to form a key hole and the handle and she turned it before it vanished. At first she saw laughing faces from her childhood. She was home in the palace in Termoree and all seemed well. Then she blinked and there was no one. The black marble floor was white with dust, the great painted ceilings blackened and burnt; torn open to the sky as flecks of ash like flurries of snow drifted down on the soft wind. Skeletal pillars rose up to the bony rafters. The hall was empty and desolate; she took a step forward her foot sinking into the powder till it reached the tops of her ankles. Shakily she turned to face the great silver throne, half melted but still standing, covered with the same sooty sleet that fell from the sky, covering her like the hall in its decay. One foot followed the other over to the wretched seat and she knelt before it, then stood and sat gazing out over the wasted chamber. Grey upon grey stretched out across the room, the statues had vanished, the fire burning hearths and lanterns above would never be lit again.

In a daze she wintered round the room as one does when they first stand in snow. She tasted the ash in her mouth, the futile attempt of her people to live. In time the ash would stop falling the walls would start crumbling and be used for nesting birds. She went to the broken glass window and looked out over the wasteland. Grey was the mountains and greyer still where the rivers that had once possessed life. The market in the square gone along with the people, the houses which children would climb up upon the roofs on but frames of themselves. Eruanna turned back to the broken memory of childhood she had spent within the walls. With the toe of her boot she sifted away the smut to reveal black marble speckled red. There was a bird's call from where she had sat moments before. Peering round the pillar she saw on the broken back of the silver throne a black crow, staring back at her with dark eyes. "Did you do this little bird?" she whispered. The bird shook its head, "A little lamb with a fiery breath did this. They killed her mate so she killed them all." it crowed, flapping its wings, sending clumps of ash from the throne. She walked towards the bird gripping her sword. The bird looked up at her unblinking. "I am family" he cawed, hopping found the seat. Scarlett drenched the ashen seat and she stepped away from it, wiping the blood away. It flourished again on her hands and again she tried to wipe it away. Then from the crimson of the dead bird came two ravens' and they dived at her, ripping and tearing until she sank to her knees and gave in. There was silence in the hall, red pooling from a kneeling girl before a metal throne so many prized a raven on ether shoulder so she should never waken. A blade still held in her hand but the green eyes eternally vacant as the room that so many kings had lived and died in. The last of the naira diminished.


	36. Chapter 36

It wasn't dawn when Tûrwethiel shook her awake. Her sister wiped away the sweat and helped her sit before giving her water and food. "Another dream, cascaze?" Eruanna nodded, "you haven't called me that for an age" Tûrwethiel smiled, "No cascaze, I haven't, it has been an age since I have felt free of my entrapments and it has been an age since I have loved you as I should." "The ring no longer holds you?" Eruanna pondered. "It is gone from this world little sister and with it all malice that once I held for others" her sister answered. "Tell me about your dream cascaze, what does your soldier's heart fear now?" Her heart froze, how did her sister know? She had been a thousand miles away, killing and slaughtering not once would her little sister have passed her mind. "You want to know why the traitor Tûrwethiel knows that her little sister suffers from flashback and nightmares, gets angry and detaches herself from her emotions and drinks herself stupid? Little sister, they all said you wouldn't cope with what you would see but father didn't listen. Years later you've found out how to cope but it's too late, the past haunts you. The present keeps you sane for a time, little sister, don't look away, I know it hurts to hear this but you know it's true" Tûrwethiel said softly taking her hand. "I am a good soldier sister, what I see no longer affects me; I will fight tomorrow" she answered snatching her hand away. "I know you're a good soldier, you're the best. I never said don't fight. I want you to accept others help." She studied Tûrwethiel face, scarred and cold like the marble walls of her uncle's palace but she knew things in her eyes that no one else would.

"I want no one's help. I need no one's help. My mind is sound, it wasn't a long while ago but now it is, we fight tomorrow, wake the others, we have a long ride ahead of us." Tûrwethiel obeyed and set about shaking the others awake, Eruanna sat thinking. Her sister and a talent for knowing everything about everyone, she knew their weaknesses and fears as well as how to anger and upset them. What she had hoped Tûrwethiel would never know was that she had not coped with war as she should have as a child. There was no time to eat so she saddle her horse and mounted, "I will meet you at the encampment, I hope you make it there alive" she informed the group.

Around midday it began to rain and her horse began to tire. She slowed to a walk and studied the horizon. Bleak and desolate landscape lay before a large fortress half fallen and surrounded by trees. She reached the point where she was to wait for her friends and scanned the area. The grass was yellowed and trampled. There was a distinct smell of rot and graveyard. A few small trees and rocks sprinkled the flat lands before the forest. The smell seemed to be getting stronger and she could faintly hear clanking mail and something less metallic scraping together. Chink clank. She held her breath and her hand reached for a blade. Clink clank. She turned her head slightly to see what was behind her. Clink clank. The smell was strong now. The figures were coming her way. Clink…clank. They saw her, and began to run. She froze for a moment. Two bodies of bone with bits of meat clinging to them, unseeing eyes that where clouded, chainmail that bore her regiment. She pulled the blade from the sheath and instinctive kicked the first one away. Her training kicked in and she wheeled round to the second embedding her knife in its ribs. It staggered back and she slipped out of sight. The pair of them began to sniff and turned in her direction. She lunged at the nearer one holding her breath so as not to breathe in the stanch and pulled its skull from its neck before setting it alight. Now there was only one. It had more of a face and more common sense but it also had stolen her discarded knife.

She ducked its fist then the blade that followed, bringing her foot to its jaw. It copied. The bones of its toe slashed her cheek and she reeled back. She sent a fire bolt at it and it began to howl. The thing wavered then fell forwards. Eruanna collected herself then picked up her knife, she used her sleeve to wipe away her blood then she threw the ashes of the corpses into the bushes. Her horse had vanished in terror but there where new hoof beats on the track. "Have we missed something?" Devae asked. "No, just a few corpses decided to have a wrestling match" she laughed, wiping away more blood. "I bet they regretted that" Tûrwethiel muttered.

Hidden under the forest trees where the rest of the soldiers. They too had experienced similar encounters and claimed there where regular patrols round the walls of the fort. They also said the gates where not well guarded and an attack on both sides would trap the majority inside and make the battle fairer. "How many troops are the scouts saying they have" Eruanna asked her brother. "Less than we expected, fifteen thousand dead and one thousand live ones including our beloved uncle" Devae replied, pulling out maps and charting up possible attacks. "Well, the living won't stay for long, our uncle never fights in the actual battle, we will have to march on the main city in force to kill him after we win this battle" Tûrwethiel interjected. "I will go alone, many of those soldiers he has are good people and I do not want a massacre. He will die but he alone will die" Eruanna replied, moving the wooden pieces across the map to where the attack formations would be. She spotted her siblings exchanging worried looks and sent them to begin explaining plans to the other officers.

Nightfall was slow to come and she had finished planning by late noon. There were a few tents where the commanders could rest and she sat alone in one of them reading the letter Legolas had sent over and over until she could say the words from memory. The food that she had been brought tasted sour and the bread stale. Normally she would have been grateful for it but she found herself wishing for Samwise to be cooking her meals. There had been news that the ring of power was destroyed. There had been none of Frodo or Sam. None of any of her companions save that Gondor would have a new king. She was glad it would be Aragorn. She got up and left the foul food to rot in the corner to the tent. It was time she met some of her troops.

"I think she will be a great leader, once her uncles dead." She rested against a tree listening to two of the guards talking. "Nah mate, she's too gentle hearted for all of that, give her wealth to the poor when she can, besides what good has that house of hers done for us? Ever since they became the ruing house there had been nothing but chaos" argued his friend. "Yes but we have only ever had a king from that house and I heard the women are decent folk, if a little bit daft at times." "Gentlemen, I would appreciate it if you refrain from calling me daft, it is a privilege given only to some and there is little truth in the stories you hear, my grandmother was a queen" Eruanna interrupted. Both men jumped and blushed, "Sorry commander, we was only saying how you'd be a great leader" the first man stuttered. "We were. We were only saying and thank you" she corrected him. They bowed and stumbled away grinning at one another.

Soon the horn was blown and the army moved out of the camp. Height on the battlements dead things watched with dead eyes, the swords they carried blunted by age. "That's going to hurt if they stick you with one of them" Eruanna muttered. She had warned the others of the impending need for fire so each soldier carried a torch. It would restrict movement but their foes where not entirely flexible. The army split into two. Tûrwethiel lead the rear army to the other gate and Eruanna and Devae went to the front. They would be the vanguard. The foot fall was no longer orcs marching on them; they were marching on their enemy's. They stopped marching. "Arches, prepare to fire" she called. The sound of stings being tightened broke the silence. "Fire" Devae yelled. One thousand arrows broke the still air, wailing their way down on the battlements. "Charge!"

Yells of soldiers flew through the air as they tore to the gates. Already rotten and broken in places they were no match for the battering ram. Eruanna ran up on to the battlements to escape the crowds of flailing swords swinging her own at the head of a corpse before pushing it from the battlements. Her sister had broken through the south gate and her lancers built a speared wall around the archers. Horses with their riders surged through the east gate and the west gate collapsed last. Many of the soldiers had taken the fighting to the fields and fire raged and cracked all around. Her own ears where filled with snapping bones and a man near her gurgling as he died. She sunk her blade into his chest and ran at another skeleton. This one had no weaponry and fell easily only to have a larger one replace it. It swung its fist at her jaw and she tasted the blood in her mouth. She screamed at it and threw a fist into its ivory face, fire licking up her body as rage overcame her. After she came to her senses she saw sitting on the top of the battlements a corpse bearing the mark of her house and aloft his head a crown. "This time you pile of kingly s**t, this time you die for good" she snarled, running at him as fast as she could. It seemed her siblings had the same idea for they collided with the stack of bones and where thrown backwards. Eruanna checked the battle below. Many of her soldiers ay dead but they had almost won. She turned back to the foul creature that stood before her and her brethren. "Well my children… kill me" it hissed. Tûrwethiel screamed and hurled her sword into its chest; her brother wrestled it to the ground. Both where flung off, Tûrwethiel hit her head against the stone and lay still. Devae staggered to his feet. Eruanna threw her dagger into the skull of the carcass king and it staggered before dragging its feet to where Tûrwethiel lay.

Both Devae and Eruanna ran at the monster, pulling it away from their sister but it threw them off and Eruanna blacked out for a moment as her head hit the stone. Her eyes fluttered open to see her brother still battling the creature. She smelt the blood and sweat filling the air, the rotting decay of their enemies. Her mouth tasted metallic and dry. She could hear cries for help and cruses of men as they missed their mark. Metal meeting flesh and more metal and cheers of victory. "We aren't victorious yet" she mumbled staggering to her feet. Her brother was thrown into the cheering army below and lost from sight. She stumbled to her feet, wiping her bloody nose, her eyes focused on the king of the dead. He raised his sword and she threw herself onto its back, ripping its head off. The sharp sword fell from its grasp, slicing into Tûrwethiel's throat. She heard her brothers scream. The shocked silence as the very dead corpse fell off the side of the battlements. She felt her knees hit the rock and her hands scrabble in the gory dirt for anything. The battle was won. The war was won. Tûrwethiel the thing she had tried to protect and win back was lost. She sat next to the still warm body. No tears fell from her cheeks. There was a dull empty throb inside her chest. Her brother ran up the battlements and shrieked with rage. He kicked the wall and pounded his fist against unforgiving brick. Below they bowed their heads. Eruanna took up her sister's hand. Up in a tower her uncle watched. "Run uncle, it doesn't matter how far because I will kill you, even if you go to the ends of the earth, you are a dead man" she hissed. "Devae, carry our sister to the forest. Have the healers prepare her body. We will bury her, and then I will go to our beloved city and kill the king. You will stay here and kill the remaining corpses and burn those who have fallen" she instructed. Her brother nodded, scooped up the limp body and carried it away.

Night was almost over but with the last of it the many funeral pyres where lit. They all stood watching as they burned to nothing and then nothing turned to ash and sailed on the wind. "It is over. We are free to go home" Carlis sighed. "You may go where you will. I still have a king to kill" Eruanna muttered. Her friend gave her a sympathetic smile and embraced her. "I go to Termoree, I will tell them of a girl who left it and became the best of all of us, who fell in love with an elf and may someday return" "No Carlis, you will tell them of a bad girl who did all she could to save her friends, you will tell it how it was with no extra details, you will even include the worst of me and you will tell them that I mean not to return" Eruanna corrected, "I have a home here, if I go back to my birth lands I will tear them apart slowly, we shall not meet again." Carlis smiled sadly and Eruanna turned to her brother. She kissed his cheek and said her goodbyes then slipped back into the treeline.

Cascaze- little lamb


	37. Chapter 37

Once there where cities of white marble and palaces of gold. Rooms made of ruby, emerald and sapphire. Of pearl and topaz, azure and diamond, black jet and cream pearl. There where rooms which floors spanned great lengths; of gold they were fashioned from or better still a multitude of different gems like fallen stars set in perfect silver cement. No man was poor and all where richer than the poorest lord of men. They dined of fine cuisine that even the gods would die for and sweeter wine than any vineyard could ever produce. Once the naira had belonged to different lands where such wealth was possible and all where equal not those who were rich where rich and those who were poor where poor; there was no middle ground. There were no sparkling citadels or shining palaces with rooms of pretty colours. There were some remnants of a forgotten world. The home of the king had been replicated in some rooms but the resources where needed for war. Floors and ceilings had been decorated with what gemstones they had left and much of the wok left unfinished.

It was to this false beauty that Eruanna stumbled, tired and alone in the world with vengeance still bitter in her mouth. Her home she would never see again, her sister was dead and she was a traitor whilst her uncle lived. Her house was all but a memory, tarnished and stained by the bloodshed of a thousand ages. The bleak rain poured in torrents and she staggered onwards, tears pouring from her eyes with a hopelessness that had begun to consume her. "What point is there?" She screamed into the grey daylight and a soft flicker of silver light flashed and was gone. With her tunic sodden and torn she sank beneath the shelter of a tree and took out a small slip of saturated parchment. The ink had run and she couldn't read the words but she knew what they meant. Slowly she let the paper disintegrate into nothing. "You have him" whispered the wind. "Not if I give up" she answered, climbing back onto her feet and back into the storm.

How many miles she walked she did not know, the wind whipped up her hair and clawed at her face, cracking her lips and freezing her cheeks, she kept on until the treeline of a darkened forest came into sight and she huddled beneath its canopy. When some of her strength returned she staggered to a stream; in its waters was someone she couldn't recognise. Wild hair and blazon red eyes, almost beautiful to behold, a scar upon her cheek that made her seem savage. She flicked the water and it rippled before settling. This time she saw what she always saw: dull green eyes and slightly less waist length hair the colour of muddy corn. She cupped her hands and sipped up the water before heading towards the rising slopes that hid her city.

**Gimli**

It had been a half a month since the enemy had fallen but Eruanna had not returned. Normally Legolas would be the one to gaze across the lands from the battlements but for some reason the dwarf was growing impatient of her impudence. She had promised to return but had not done so yet. He decided upon heading to the kitchens in the end, with a final glance over the grasslands he followed the winding stone down to the warm kitchen. Minas Tirith was a masterpiece of stone work in his opinion, but the amount of stairs designed for men were somewhat of a hindrance for a dwarf. It had taken a few days for him to devise a method of getting around speedily, by using the smaller back alley stairs he could travel mostly unseen all over the city. This had confused his companions when they had gone in search of him. Now he saw that Gandalf was searching high and low for him and he watched with amusement as several of the townsfolk told the wizard that he couldn't get far.

Once escaping the clutches of a furious wizard Gimli took up residence in the kitchens, advising the staff on what seasoning to put in the soup and checking the standard of the food where his favourite past times. When the elf had not been occupied with the endless amounts of books in the library they had gone around the city together but now Legolas had taken it upon himself to learn a new language and had shut himself away during midday. After the third time of having his had slapped by a ladle he debated whether to find the hobbits. After much contemplation he thought it agreeable.

He never did find the hobbits; instead he met with a pale faced naira who he recalled as Devae. "Gimli, is my sister in the city?" Gimli was taken aback by the urgency of his question. "No laddie, I haven't seen her for quite a while now" he informed the naira. He watched panic flit across the fair chiselled features then the impenetrable mask swamped it. "Why, where is she?" he pressed. "I fear she is in grave danger, she left us after a battle some days ago and did not return. She was talking lunacy but I took it to be grief" Devae responded, "Can I do anything" "I thank you master dwarf for your time but your service is insignificant" sighed the naira before walking off through the streets. Gimli huffed to himself but thought it better to warn someone of the naira wandering the paths.

**Eruanna**

"Hush little bird.

Don't go to war,

Don't fly where I can't follow.

The stars the sing us songs

Above the waves and lands afar.

Sleep little dove, cover your eyes,

This night will yet be yours"

Eruanna broke off the song she had learnt as a child and listened; she heard cold laughter in the distance and headed further away from it. Each tree had a small knife mark in it. To a mortal man it would not be visible but to those with better vision each mark on the tree gave a direction to the fort. She followed the steadily as the slopes at the foot of the mountain climbed. The leaves drowned out the sunlight which wrestled with the vines to cast a small shimmer through the awning. It became colder and darker; the trees became laced with threads and chimes. Spikes shot upward from the ground with pale skulls hammered onto them. The gate was near and so where the tunnels.

It seemed that she was no longer the only one to know about the city escape routes, there was a guard on the passageway but she dealt with him quickly and hid the remnants. After changing into his uniform and hiding her own she went back to the gate and commanded they open it. The slums of the city seemed to have shrunk in size; the smell was not so overpowering and the people seemed better fed. Children laughed and splashed around in the muddy puddles while their mothers cooked and their fathers laboured in their huts. Eruanna noticed the absence of soldiers and the wary glances she was cast. Once out of the slums there was the more common sight of houses of the middle class if there was such a class. Great street markets adorned the way, men and women shouting the prices of their wares. It was like something from harad. She walked over to a silk stand and inspected the wares. "That is fine silk miss, indeed it is haradrim silk, the red would suit you best, bring out the colour in your cheeks" the young girl on the stand informed her. "Forgive me for asking I have been away for a while. I did not realise we did business with the haradrim, why had everything changed so drastically?" she asked, running her fingers over the ruby threads. "I'm not sure miss, we all woke up one morning and war was declared the next we were to give the poor some of our wares and support them as well as buy from our new allies. If you ask me, it don't feel safe without our elite guards round, rumour has it that the king had them executed. Even his niece and she was so young too, not to mention beautiful, such a waste of fine talent if you ask me but he's the king he can do what he likes and we all obey or we lose our heads, now I'll give you that for a copper, special offer as a welcome home gift" the girl rattled. "It's very kind but I have no money" Eruanna sighed, reluctantly putting the fabric dress back. "Then you must take it, we can't have you wandering round in that armour all day, take it and tell everyone that this is the best silk stand in the hole of the city" the girl insisted. "I don't even know your name" "My name is Flarece and I know who you are my lady, now go and do what needs to be done, I shall not keep you any longer" Flarece said pushing her back into the crowds.

She changed in a tavern nearby. The armour fetched a good price and one of the younger smithies informed her of the king's whereabouts. The palace stood in the middle of a lake assessable only by boat. She changed her appearance before boarding. Black locks and red eyes combined with a silk gown where all she needed to hide her identity. The ship set sail across the murky water, Eruanna recalled it had once been blue and clear, so blue that every fish below the ship was visible. Now it was a grey sludge. She set off in search of the palace kitchens. Fresh bread and soup cooked in fiery ovens and she pulled on an apron to disguise her gown. In the market she had bought a sleeping draught and she poured it now into the king's goblet. In a similar place in a similar circumstance she recalled doing a similar thing.

The plot had been laid out, in the candle lit cellars far below anyone's view they all sat round a table. They argued tirelessly about the king's favour and who should do the deed until one young woman stood up and declared that it was her duty to put a stop to the war and his maddening reign. She reminded them that she was the king's bodyguard and could easily get closest to him. Later when the siege began she sat beside her father as he worried for the safety of his family. Her fingers ran back and forth along her blade then the king called to him his closet soldiers. "Kill them. Kill them all, down to the last child" he bellowed. Eruanna had sliced the men to pieces and bolted the door. Still the king screamed "kill them all" as he retreated. Her knife found its way into his back and as he died he till spoke the words "kill them. Kill everyone." She cut away his head from his shoulders and threw it across the room. The steel doors where cast aside and her siblings found her standing over the headless body of their father. Her uncle had stepped up and sat upon the great throne. She had knelt before him. "My king" she whispered, "I shall defend you till my last breath and no harm will come to you whilst I serve you."

Now she faced the door to the throne room again. A goblet in her hand she brought it to her king. Before him she knelt as he flipped through a book. "A drink for my king." The great brute snatched it from her and ordered her to stand in the corner. The queen cast her disgusted glance and excused herself. They were alone. The king slurped down the wine and continued to read. Eruanna slipped into the shadows and down the room to the door and quietly bolted it. There was a clatter from the cup and the king fell from the seat gasping. She drew the knife she had brought and advanced towards him. "Uncle, do you remember when I killed my father for you and you had me beaten? Do you remember all those times you tried to sell me to one man or another like a common harlot? I told you I would have my revenge and here it is" she whispered softly in his ear, she could hear him rasping panicky breaths and she drove the blade deep into his windpipe. The air left the king's lungs and she picked up the crown before sitting herself on the solid gold chair, placing the heavy metal circlet on her lap. She closed her eyes and wept for joy. Freedom it seemed had been easy to gain. Thoughts began to fill her had once more and she waited patiently for her family to arrive again.

When her brother found her she was quite calm. Elrénia ran in after him and began to laugh hysterically. Devae received Elrénia's joyous embrace before gingerly taking the crown from his sister. "It's all yours little brother, I do not want it" she whispered in his ear before pulling him into a warm hug. "You killed the king" Elrénia giggled, joining in the hug. "Yes sister, I killed your husband, you are free of him." Then the guards came and shackled her and dragged her away to the cells.

As she sat in the cold darkness she laughed to herself. "So this is freedom" Elrénia asked when she came to visit. "Yes, it is freedom, now all our kind are free of good king Heranda the third" Eruanna answered, "now we have king Devae the first and he shall be a good king." "He wants to see you after his coronation, to pass sentence" Elrénia murmured. Her heart sank on hearing the words; she knew they were coming but not when. Her sister left her alone once more and she sat watching the rats scurry across the cold straw. She listened to the screams of others and wondered how long it would be until they were hers. How long would it be till the burning, the whipping and cutting would start she didn't know and she was beginning not to care. She had killed two kings, she deserved all she got.

Later as darkness fell and the lanterns where lit for the dead king she looked out of her cell into the sky and up to the multitude of stars. The voices of a thousand people singing in the courtyard below rose up into the air. Smoke billowed up as the pyre burned, ash rained down upon the city. Behind her the jingle of keys stirred her mesmerised soul. "Sister, I need you to be quite" hissed a familiar voice. "Devae?" "Shh, I'm letting you out while they are distracted." Her brother was finely dressed in velvets and silks but he still managed his gutter rat smile. He pulled her out of the cell and swaddled her in a cloak. They ran laughing down the flights of stairs as her hair turned back to gold and her eyes to green. Back out through the moonlight city and busy markets that where now ghosts of their former selves. At the gate he stopped and hugged her tightly. "I do not want my first thing as king to be to banish or execute my own sister. Go back to you betrothed and I will not have to make that choice." He whispered, handing her a bag of gold and her sword. She had forgotten Legolas, in the commotion of the battle and her desperate attempt to save her house she had forgotten the one she loved most. "I do not think he will forgive me now, it had almost been a month since their war finished and it will take another to return to the white city, let me stay" she pleaded. "Do not force me to banish you" Devae snapped, "They want your head on a spike and I cannot protect you, please go." He pushed her out the gate and before she had time to argue they shut in her face.

She stumbled back over the muddy ground and out into the night. No food or water and only a knife for safety. Her brother had sent her into the wild to die. The sound of horse's hooves broke the silence and Elrénia rode up beside her. "It's a long way to Minas Tirith alone sister, come now, let us go together." Eruanna shook her head. "Lend me the horse if you wish but I go alone" she replied. Elrénia dismounted and handed her the reins, "I pray he treats you well" she said, hugging her gingerly and running back to the safety of the forest.

As night faded into day and day faded back into night she saw the destruction sauron had wrought on the land. The road had bodies of men, elves, dwarves and orcs thrown across it. Her own kind seemed to have hidden their dead from prying eyes. She met few travellers and from all she heard from them the new king of Gondor was doing well. She stopped at an inn to change her horse and buy supplies and heard from the owner that there had been several royal weddings. Arwen and Aragorn where the main topic in the inn so she decided upon staying the night. As she sat in the corner sipping on the ale and eating what small amount of food she could she spotted a familiar face. The young man who she had met in a different tavern sat across from her gambling his money away. She got up and went to join him; he smiled in recognition and threw another card onto the wood. His opponent reached his hand across the table and took the gold before leaving him with nothing but his sword.

"I see your luck has fared you better" she muttered. The man chuckled, "my lady, I have had better games and I have had worse but it seems you are the real gambler here. You gamble your life instead of coins. I heard who you are and you are the princess Eruanna." "I'm not a princess, not any more. I never learnt your name" she replied. "My name is Herris son of Jacris, I am a merger farm boy in comparison to you" Herris answered. "I've heard of you, you're the one who knows everything about everyone or so they say." He smiled a toothy grin. "I assume you are headed to you future husband in Gondor. He misses you terribly, however I would hurry, they leave in two weeks for their homes and his father has a surprise for him." "What kind of surprise?" she asked cautiously. "It is in the form of a pretty elleth and from what I hear it will be a wedding to remember or it will be if his son returns with no wife" he informed. She slammed her fist on the table knocking the ale off. "You're a liar" she spat. He shook his head sadly and she got to her feet. "I would pick the black horse, I hear it's the fastest" the man advised. She was gone before he had time say another word.


	38. Chapter 38

The white city was larger and grander than she remembered it but she remembered it when she had been at war. Its great battlements where adorned still with flowers and banners of the white tree. Pelenor fields where no longer muddied and stained with blood but the long grass was green and swaying softly in the wind. Eruanna climbed off her horse and wandered through it, her hands trailed through the smooth blades and she found herself laughing. She picked up the skirts of her dress and ran, loosening her platted hair so the wind caught it. The horse nuzzled her and pushed her a few steps towards the city and her stomach knotted. "What if he has forgotten me?" she whispered, rubbing her velvet nose. The mare snorted in apparent amusement and trotted a few paces. Her feet chased after it contrary to what her heart and head wanted. She grabbed its reigns and slowed it back to a walk. She squinted against the sun, up on the walls she saw the glint of armour and flags fluttering in the breeze. The horse stopped and began to munch on the grass so she sat beside it and studied the city. "If this where a battle plan I would go round the side where the rock is weakest, but the main gate is open and it looks terribly inviting" she murmured, rummaging in her satchel for an apple. Once she found one she began to cut pieces of and share it with the mare, it crunched on it loudly and she laughed before biting into the bitter fruit. "I think I need to be brave and go through the front" she declared; the horse grunted. "I know bravery is stupidity but I think this time a bit of it necessary. I'm not having some elleth steal away the one I love." With that she clambered back into the saddle and cantered towards the gates.

**Legolas**

Legolas had begun to grow bored of stone walls and the unfamiliar sounds that the city brought. He longed for the forest once more, he stood now beneath the white tree watching Gimli gaze intently across the grasslands. His friend had seemed troubled of late and he had no notion as to why. He assumed it was because Aragorn had banned him from the kitchens but he knew the dwarf would not give in so easily. "Gimli" he called. The dwarf looked up and wandered over, glancing back at the walls every now and then. "What troubles you so, you have been so distant of late." Gimli smiled and pulled him back to the wall. "You said to me that we would see that naira again within a week of the rings destruction. It's been almost a month, on top of that I met with her brother about two weeks ago and he had no idea of where she was, I am merely worried that something's happened to her." Legolas felt his throat tighten and he gripped the edge of the wall, the dwarf patted his arm sympathetically, "I'm sorry lad, I didn't mean to upset you." "It's fine Gimli, perhaps it is better this way." He found it difficult to read the dwarfs expression but he thought he saw disbelief mixed with several other emotions. Legolas turned away from the fields, searching for her had proven futile so he preferred not to look at them. The dwarf continued straining his eyes then he shook him. "Can you see that?" he asked, leaning further over the wall. "It will be a guard" Legolas sighed, pulling him away from the edge. A few days ago the dwarf had said the same thing and they had both hoped it to her Eruanna but when they reached the gates it had been Faramir returning early from a hunt.

This rider however was going at a slower pace and was hooded. The rider drew nearer and Legolas found himself hoping again that it could be her. "Come on lad, we'll go see, it could be her. She has taken her time however." Reluctantly he allowed himself to be dragged to the bottom of the city by the dwarf. When they reached the gates the rider had already arrived and a sentry reported that the rider had seemed in a hurry. On further questioning they discovered that the rider was a woman but she did not give her name. Disappointed they both trudged back up the long road to the top of the city. "Never mind lad, we still don't know who this lass is, we might find out later" Gimli assured him. Legolas smiled and glanced over his shoulder at the dwarf who had started grumbling about stairs. "Why don't you try and teach me some of this rohirric?" Gimli asked. "If you recall I offered to teach you some days ago but you refused." The dwarf snorted before thinking up his reply: "That was a few days ago now I want to learn." Exasperated he agreed, "Very well, go to my chamber and fetch the book from the cabinet." The dwarf nodded and rushed off, leaving him in peace.

**Gimli**

"Rohirric? Gimli son of Gloin, you are a fool" he cursed as he scrambled up the steps to the nearby chambers they were occupying for the time. He had been concerned for his friend and had tried to distract him. "But rohirric?" he thought. The door to the elf's room was slightly ajar but he thought little of it. Swiftly he went to the dresser and searched through the books stored there. It would not do to keep Legolas waiting; the elf had a habit of ambling off when his mind wandered. After a hurried search he found the book was not where it should be. There was a sudden rustle of paper that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He picked up a large book and took a few steps back but saw nothing, then he saw a flash of red and he stepped further back. His heart stopped with shock and the book fell to the floor. "Interesting book choice for an elf." A familiar voice said coolly.

**Eruanna**

Gimli stood staring at her aghast for several minutes. She turned her eyes back to the paper and studied it; she heard the dwarf splutter and looked up again. "I could kill you" the dwarf seethed. "Go ahead, just don't do it in here, my betrothed would not be pleased to find me in such a messy state" she remarked, flicking to the next page. "I arrived this morning, I told the guard on the gate to tell you but I assume by the look on your face he didn't" she continued. The dwarf picked up the book and flung it at her. Her hand grabbed it before it hit her and she put both of books she held down on the bed. "You don't seem pleased to see me" she observed before bursting into a fit of giggles. Gimli glared at her for a moment then allowed himself to laugh. "The adventure I have been on Gimli you will not believe, but come tell me how the others are?" Gimli grunted then set about clearing up the books while he told her how the others fared. It seemed by some miracle that Frodo had escaped with his life. Merry and Pippin had done well for themselves and had gained a title each. As for Aragorn and Gandalf there was little to be told. "What about you and Legolas, how are you?" she asked when he had finished.

"I have done no great deeds so have earned no titles but I am well enough as for the elf, I cannot say, he is a mystery but I can tell you he misses you my lady, why don't you come with me and see him?" Gimli asked her. She felt hear heart warm to him and she smiled, "If I were a king or queen you would be worthy of more than one title master dwarf. As for Legolas, I fear he will not forgive me." It was then they were interrupted by an all too familiar voice calling for Gimli. "Well lass, you're about to find out."

Soft footsteps filled the room and she froze where she sat. The dwarf coughed and the footsteps changed direction and halted inform of her. Far from Gimli's open mouthed spluttering Legolas stood with fixed amazement. Eruanna lowered her eyes to the ground, and Gimli shifted beside her uncomfortably. "I'll leave you two be" the dwarf mumbled, picking up the book and dashing from the room. Legolas took a few tentative steps and stopped; she looked up and smiled meekly at him. "You cannot be her. This is a dream" he said finally, running his fingers down her cheek. She took his hand in his pressing it to her face and closed her eyes, "this is no dream." She felt his free hand clasp hers and she opened her eyes to see his crouching in front of her. "My love is in a different land, you are not her." "I am her, I came back like I promised and I should have done so sooner but I had other things on my mind." He rested his brow on hers and closed his eyes. He released her arms and trapped her waist in a loose embrace. "My Eruanna doesn't wear dresses." "I thought it would surprise you." She heard him snort delicately and felt the warmth from him surround her, his sweet breath tickled her face. "I can hear your heartbeat elf; it's faster than it should be." His soft lips brushed hers and she pulled him closer. She pulled away and he let out a ragged breath before caressing her face. He sat beside her and pulled her into him, kissing her forehead and murmuring in his soft and foreign language. "I looked for you every day but I couldn't see you, I thought you might have gone with your people to Termoree." Eruanna smiled and kissed him lightly before hiding her face in his chest. "I wouldn't do that, I couldn't… not without you." "Why didn't you tell me you needed to leave?" he asked finally. "I didn't because I would have had to look you in the eyes and see the pain the words would cause you and I didn't want to see it" she admitted. He shifted his grip on her and with his free hand tilted her face up to his before kissing her firmly on the lips. "Foolish naira" he murmured, kissing her again.

Breathless from his kisses she found it hard to concentrate. There had been something of importance she had needed to tell him but trying to remember anything when he sat beside her after so long was next to impossible. He caressed her cheek demanding a kiss from her and she willingly gave him it. "Legolas… we need to marry soon" she began; he froze and stared at her in amazement. "Why? The war is over surely I can introduce you to my family first?" Eruanna sighed and cupped his face in her hand, trying to ignore the kisses he delivered on her wrist. "Your father has a young elleth he wishes you to marry to form an alliance" she explained. His kisses stopped abruptly and he glowered at her, "You're lying" he mumbled. "I heard it from a reliable source, when you return you will be wed to this maiden." "Not if I'm married to you first" he snapped. "We leave for our homes in a fortnight" she argued. Legolas smiled and got up off the bed looking thoughtful. Then he turned and got down on one knee. "Eruanna, my one and only love, will you marry me?" he asked, kissing her hands and pulling her to her feet. "You already asked me that once" she giggled. "Will you marry me this Saturday?" he continued. Joy began to overwhelm her and Legolas handed her a glass of water. She grinned at him and nodded. "I would be delighted my prince."

When the stars rippled on glass light sea

She saw a chance and ran to be free

The muses sat and sung with golden harps

High upon silver moon rays, this song I tell you they sing

When they meet with the elven prince's lady:

She looks upon the world with eyes that dare,  
Whimsical smile and darkened gaze.  
Though ocean spray and open air,  
To a wasteland of suffering where the demons milk  
The tears of a salted sea.

Look to those eyes, the fiery eyes  
See past the pain and suffering of time.  
What do you see in those challenging eyes?  
Is it love or hate? Passion or loathing?

Where does she cast those daring eyes,  
It is to the see the gulls will cry,

To the lands beyond the haunted red waves,  
If you ask that whimsical smile it will tell you of a prince,  
The thief of hearts and the keeper of hope,  
She tells anyone who listens:

In the moonless darkness of wanting the trees escape  
To waves and boats to different lands,  
He goes with them my leaf, my prince,  
He chases the sun and I chase the stars.

* * *

Thank you so much for all the support and wonderful reviews! Its been a long road but there are only a few chapters left! Thank you all so much for reading.


	39. Chapter 39

When Saturday came she was woken early by a handmaiden who insisted on helping her bathe and dress. She stumbled out of bed and over to the window while the maid poured hot water into a steel tub. It was warm and the sun shone across the green fields, the maid finished and pulled her over to the water and commanded she get in. "What's your name?" The girl smiled as she scrubbed at her skin. "Morwen, my lady" she answered. "I am capable of washing myself." Morwen laughed and handed her the sponge, "Will you bring me a glass of wine?" The maid nodded and left her alone. She clambered out of the water and dried herself, before inspecting herself in the mirror. When the girl returned and handed her the bottle. The wine was dry and dull tasting but it dulled her nerves.

"Here miss, isn't it lovely?" Morwen said, holding out the dress she was to wear. "Yes… it's exquisite" "Are you alright, miss? You nervous? Its ok, my sister was on her big day but it was alright in the end." She did feel edgy but she would never admit it. "I'm fine." Morwen raised an eyebrow and began to dress her up in soft silks. She wove her hair into braids and donned her in sparkling gemstones. When she finished the serving girl pushed her in front of a mirror. "I look like something out of a story my nursemaid would tell me: And there stands the china bride with twinkling eyes and liquid locks. Upon her brow is set the stars and in her hand she holds the heart…" Eruanna faltered and looked at the serving girl who nodded encouragingly, "Morwen, I think you have better things then to listen to silly poems and tales from a child's bedside, they are mostly sad tales and this is supposed to be a happy day." The maid reluctantly curtsied and fetched her more wine before settling down beside her. Eruanna looked to her reflection and traced the faint scar on her cheek, then remembered the countless others she carried. Disgusted she turned away from the glass and wandered back over to the window. It was to be a small blessing ceremony, but some important nobles would be attending the feast after. Aragorn had insisted upon it and no matter of protesting had changed his mind. She found herself fiddling nervously with the hem of the lacked sleeve until Morwen distracted her with a book she had found.

The book was similar to the ones Legolas had attempted to get her to read as a child but it had seemed dull as a child to read about other people's adventures. After an hour of struggling to read past the first chapter she gave up. The young handmaid sat beside her and began to chatter about the war that had past and the men who had been so brave. "You fought, didn't you miss?" she asked. "What was it like?" "I don't really know, I've spent my life fighting there is nothing else to compare it to." Puzzled the mortal woman pressed on asking questions and she tried her best to answer them. Curiosity played on her mind when she noticed a small chain carrying a ring around the girl's neck. "Are you to marry too?" she asked. The girl nodded sadly, "He's not like you betrothed, he's wealthy and my father needs the money. My sister married for love and her husband got us into a bad situation, now it's up to me to change it." "Go to the bag at the end of my bed. In it you will find a purse of silver coins. Take it as a thank you for your help today; I hope it will be enough to pay your family's debt." Morwen looked like she wanted to protest but Eruanna threw the book at the girl. Morwen smiled and gingerly threw it back. "Careful, this book could contain vital war information" Eruanna giggled. The smile on the girls face settled her nerves, and then the knock at the door unsettled them again.

The sunlight was far brighter than she expected and she had to squint to adjust to it. She was led by Gimli to the throne room before he patted her arm and deserting her. Gandalf stood in front of her, "I thought the bride was supposed to be late?" Eruanna whispered. The wizard smiled and nodded to where the fellowship burst through laughing before taking their places. Legolas walked in very calmly and very late. Dressed in cool sliver silk he looked more angelic than she would have liked. He took her hand and kissed her cheek, murmuring an apology for his delay. "In the eyes of Iluvatar the creator we are gathered here to bless a rather _odd_ union" Gandalf began, Legolas smiled at the added detail and Eruanna bit her lip to stifle a giggle. "Legolas son of Thranduil, do you swear to cherish and love this woman to the best of your ability?" The wizard asked him, handing him a small ring. "I swear." The prince murmured, slipping the silver band onto her finger. Her heart fluttered and she saw Legolas smile before he took her hands in hers. "Eruanna, princess of Termoree, do you vow to honour and love this elf with all your heart?" She froze, and looked at the cool blue eyes, her betrothed nodded reassuringly. "I vow" she mumbled uncertainly, handing the ring Gandalf had given her to Legolas who was beaming with delight. "I bless this union and all that may come from it, in the sight of the valar" Gandalf finished. Legolas pulled her into a gentle kiss as their friends clapped, she sighed in relief, enjoying being partly out of the spotlight once again. "Let the feasting begin" Pippin cheered dragging the other halflings away to the food hall. "You look lovely" Legolas murmured. "It's not really my thing." Eruanna answered, blushing wildly as he raised an eyebrow. She watched him smile and she kissed his cheek before they followed the others to the feasting hall.

There was roast boar and stewed rabbit. Plies of venison and mutton and the best wine she had ever tasted but she didn't have the stomach for much of it. Night was drawing near and the real wedding with it. After the entertainment began she excused herself and went back to her chamber. She removed the gold headdress and silver bracelets. She then removed the braids from her hair and the small diamonds from around her neck. Morwen brought in a tray with a jug of wine with two goblets and handed her one. Her hands shook and the girl sat opposite, telling her how everything would be fine. "Have you ever been with anyone before Morwen?" Eruanna asked after her third glass. "Once my lady; it is nothing to be feared. I take it you are not experienced in this area?" Her handmaid replied. "No, my father would have had me strung up by the neck and I never really had time" she confessed. Morwen smiled sympathetically and began to knit her hair into one chunky plat that fell over her shoulder. "Your husband's here" the girl whispered. In the glass she saw Legolas lean against the wall, he smiled shyly at the handmaiden and signalled for her to leave. Morwen bobbed her head and left. Then he gingerly wanderer over before bending and kissing her cheek before going over to the wine to pour himself a glass. After the third, Eruanna got up out of her chair and turned him to face her. He put the glass back on the tray and smiled as she wrapped her arms round his neck. He looked tentatively down at her before his lips brushed hers. She trembled with fear and he stopped, "You're afraid?" He cupped her chin in his palm and she brushed it away; shaking her head. He kissed her lightly before she deepened their kiss and pulled him over to their bed. He slowly unlaced her dress kissing her neck and she unclasped the hooks holding his shirt together with shaking hands. His kisses me more tender and affectionate before he stopped; confused she kissed his shoulder in protest, her heart racing with nervous excitement. "Do you trust me?" he whispered, kissing her brow. "I love and trust you Legolas, with all my heart"

**Legolas**

She lay in the tangled sheets sleeping in her haphazard way with one eye half open. He lay contentedly beside her. His fingers traced the scars that zigzagged up her back in a military formation. They weren't the only ones but they were the worst. He remembered her embarrassment the night before when he had seen them and insisted she was beautiful. She wriggled onto her side and into his chest and he enjoyed the coolness of her skin. Her eyelids fluttered open and she glowered at him for admiring her wounds. "Where did you get this one?" he asked. "Battle of Ezu when I was fifteen, that one on my hip I got when I was thirty" she responded drowsily. He kissed her and she spotted the thin puckered skin on his shoulder. "What's this?" she asked kissing the mark. "Arrow wound, battle of the five armies…I forget my age" he sighed, he wrapped her fingers into his and curled up in is arms. "Go back to sleep love, we are travelling to rohan later." She nestled back in his embrace and lay still for a while. When he was certain she was asleep he went back to tracing the thin scars and wondering about the story behind them. He knew how difficult it was for her to talk about it, so he didn't press her built he still wanted to know.

It seemed to be growing late in the day so he bathed and dressed before wrapping he sheets around his sleeping wife. "My wife…" he murmured kissing her cheek, she smiled in her relaxed slumber and mumbled "My husband" in response before concealing her face back into the pillow. He asked the maid who had waited on Eruanna the day before to fetch some breakfast and went for a walk across the ramparts.

**Eruanna  
**

When Legolas returned he brought breakfast with him and she sat wolfing down the smoked fish whilst he sat watching, a flicker of glee playing across his lips. "You seem cheerful this morning; it is a rare thing for you to be so content so early" he informed her when she demanded an answer to the smile he could not be rid of. "I am happy because we are married" she retorted, "no one can take you from me. You're all mine." Legolas laughed, rather more than she had first expected and she found herself regretting her words. "You are the most selfish creature I have ever met" he remarked, getting up from his seat and kissing her nape. "Do you mind?" she whispered. "I like a challenge" he purred, stealing some of the fruit of her plate. She finished her meal which was a little overcooked for her taste before allowing him to lead her out into the fresh air.

The day was cold and there was little sun to be seen, the stone walls only lessened what warmth there was. King Théoden had been laid to rest but the company had not yet paid their respects and so they were travelling to Edoras before journeying home. She spied a small curly haired figure peering out over the walls and left her husband's side.

"Not with your friends?" Frodo looked up and shook his head. "Sometimes I think they do not understand and I come here to be alone." The open prairies that surrounded the city now had people farming them and she saw in the halfling a desire for a simple life once more. "The things we see change us; make us better or worse people. You did something many thought would be impossible. Your friends may not understand but it is up to you to help them to do so." "How would you know? You were trained for war… I was thrown into one" Frodo argued. She pitied him and yet she was angered by is unwillingness to take her advice. "There are times where I wake up from a nightmare and find another one waiting for me in consciousness. I may had been trained for war but I was not made for it, I see the same thing happening to you Frodo, you take yourself away from others because what you have seen will not leave you be and neither will their concern." The halfling smiled and looked down at his feet, the curly mass hiding his face. "What should I do?" he asked at length. "Talk to someone you trust" she advised. "I never thought I would be talking to you about trusting others" he laughed. They talked for some time about the events that had taken place and she listened to him about his home and the peaceful surroundings he had to go back to. He inquired about her home but it made her feel sick and hollow inside at the mention of Termoree; the white shores and snow-capped mountains, the clear blue and green lakes and rivers that her eyes would never again see. Frodo asked her to describe what it was like and she tired in detail until she could no longer go on. Anger and panic rose inside of her torso, pressing against her ribs as if she would implode; she stopped abruptly and excused herself before running back to her chamber.

**Legolas**

When Frodo came to find him, he was attempting unsuccessfully to teach Gimli to speak some elvish. The young hobbit looked fearful and began in stumbling words to explain what had happened. When he asked where she had gone Frodo pointed them the in general direction. It was Gimli who found her. He came puffing and panting back up the steps before leading him back to his bed chamber. The curtains had been torn from their rails and feathers fluttered down from the shredded pillows. Red smeared down the stone pillars and his heart tightened in his chest and he peered into the bathroom. Pieces of mirror littered the ground; wine stained the white towels that had been ripped to shavings. Legolas stepped tentatively into the room ordering Gimli to wait outside as he did so. The shards of glass crunched under his boots as he stepped closer to where she was curled up. Her face buried in her legs as she sobbed bitterly. Her hands and feet bled from crawling over the glass but she still cradled a bottle of wine in her hand. He wanted to pull her into his arms and soothe her but she hissed at him and crawled further away. "Eruanna… it's me, put the bottle down." She giggled drunkenly before her laughter dissolved into pathetic sobs. He took a step closer and crouched down, she snatched at a shard of glass, gripping it in her hands until it sunk deep into her palm. The bottle was raised back to her mouth and she downed what was left of it before smashing it furiously on the ground. Uncertainty made him stop and consider his options before he got up and sat next to her. She smiled at him through watery eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. Legolas didn't move; he resisted putting his arm around her for fear that she might lash out. Gimli poked his head round the door before hurriedly retreating as she hurled a shard of glass at him screaming.

He saw her stop suddenly and freeze, staring fixatedly at the opposite wall then she let out a sharp breath and looked sown at her hands and over at him. Her eyes rested back on the glass and she began slowly to clear it up, letting her hair hide her face from view. "I'm sorry." His heart stopped in his chest and he looked up to see her looking over at him. He held out his hand to her and she obediently sat in front of him. Her eyes where filled with same and he watched as she tugged at a loose thread on her tunic. Gingerly he took her hand and reached for a cloth to bathe it with. She didn't move but looked away from him to avoid his gaze. Gimli had returned but he had returned with a healer who insisted on checking her. "What's wrong with her?" his friend asked the young woman once she had finished. "I don't know… depression perhaps?" Eruanna gave a soft sigh and lay back on the bed, before letting out a whimper. It pained to see her in such a state and he sat beside her, she smiled up at him faintly before pulling at the bandages that now covered her wrists. "It's going to be okay mellemin" she murmured kissing her forehead. "Nothing will ever be okay" she answered turning away from him and closing her eyes despondently. He began to feel despair creeping into his heart but he pushed it away, "I won't believe it" he told himself, "I can't."

If the entire world was made with gold  
I'd Trade it for you, my love, 

If the entire world was to be doomed  
I'd spend the days left with you 

When the mists turn blue  
and the skies purple  
when all the stars lose sight

My heart will still be yours my dear.

We will tumble on a bed of leaves  
or ride across the silken spray 

Beyond this moment of discord the oceans whisper,

And after the rain of evening your lover wanders

Under a cloudless sky of twilight of which the poets speak

_Of the lagoon of memory the words I forgive you and_

_Ask only one thing: return soon my love,_

_Return from the darkened dreams and saddened places  
Return from the wild waves and restless fires,_

_Return to me and my heart once more._


	40. Chapter 40

_Betrayed we where by our little saviour for she turned from love, only for a while. She is the demon of all children's dreams and now her dreams will suffer. She killed our king, our beloved sovereign. Her uncle she bled too. With icy hate and fire in her heart, her love it ruined us all. Traitor we will call them who followed her and butchered us in our beds. Killer we will cry as her brother takes the throne. We must sail home to our lands of old; past waters red and black. Past the corpses of a thousand dead because of a few words she said. We will never belong in middle earth or be accepted in those lands and we shall have a fertile land for peace and life again. Love it seems has killed us all; her heart was weak to resist, she will not come home with us to restore what once was. We no longer have the power to save our war torn homeland nor find a new land to survive in. We are the dying breed that legend will forget._

The word 'wife' still seemed strange and unfamiliar to Eruanna but Legolas insisted on calling her it at every opportunity and she called him husband back though the word was foreign on her tongue. Despite the grim grey morning and the events that had taken place earlier that day the sun had risen from its bed and her spirits with it. From her horse she saw the destruction being whipped from the lands, blackened crops being re-sewn, houses being rebuilt; just as Théoden had predicted but he was no longer around to see it. She felt Legolas's warm breath tickle her neck as he kissed her and she elbowed him in the ribs. She caught him winking at the dwarf and both of them began to laugh cheerfully. On a different day she would have demanded to know what they found so amusing but she still felt unsteady and already she decided she didn't want to know.

They passed through small villages filled with joyful smiling faces, some waved and some handed flowers to Aragorn while children ran after them laughing. Then under a tree there stood a dark figure, darkness liquefied around the hooded body. Eruanna twisted her head to get a better look and the figure raised a hand but there was only bone. She squealed and flinched away, the face was half melted by what seemed a burning flame but what remained was a face she knew and loved. The figure followed as the jet smoke wheeled around its feet, hissing. Then screams began to fill the air and Eruanna covered her ears. When they passed out of the village the figure stood on the edge of it before vanishing. She kept trying to see it but there was nothing, "My love, what's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost." She looked up at the elf whose eyes were filled with worry and she kissed him reassuringly. "Nothing, just one of the children startled me that's all… they looked like someone I knew." Satisfied Legolas went back to his convocation and left her to her thoughts. It suddenly occurred to her that once they had reached Edoras they would be heading for Mirkwood and a very unhappy king Thranduil.

"Legolas…" she began. "Yes mellemin." Legolas answered, Eruanna paused to choose her next words carefully. "Your father… he will not like our union, perhaps we should warn him beforehand that you have married rather than my turning up and getting thrown into his dungeons, though that might happen anyway." She could feel his muscles tense and he remained silent for some time, she began to wonder if she had offended him when he relaxed and kissed her cheek. "Is that a yes?" she murmured. "No, I know my father; it will be wiser to say nothing until we arrive besides I want to surprise him." "Are you sure you won't anger him?" He laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist. "My love he will be furious but he cannot undo what has been done, even he does not have the power to separate our souls now." Her cheeks flushed at the forwardness and she heard him chuckle. "Do I embarrass you meleth?" he asked. "I am just a little unused to this, I'll get used to it eventually" she replied absentmindedly, her eyes resting on something that stood by the road.

The woman in the road stood staring ahead, her hands and feet bound in shackles. Wild red eyes staring straight ahead; golden hair semi-braided in tribal plats half covering the bared fangs and scared cheeks as she ran at the company before the chains restrained her and she screamed silently, Eruanna recoiled as they past and the girl looked up at her. "Help me" the thing whispered, tilting her head like an animal studying a potential victim. She then blinked and there was nothing to see but a dusty track with nothing on it; all there was to hear was the laughter of men and horses hoof beats on the rocky terrain. Confused and unnerved she kept quiet about the familiar faces that haunted her. Keeping her eyes to the ground and her hands woven into the horse's mane for comfort, she saw no more spectres on the road. That face she had seen once in a pool not so long ago before the ripples of the water had changed it back. Her husband's grip suddenly tightened on her belly and she glanced up. Crows hopped along the roadside and she looked away, screwing her eyes up tightly.

It seemed as though everyone was traveling as they met many traders and merchants as well as other walkers who were headed to rohan for the same reason. So many stories were told and heard that by the time they reached the city the young hobbits where on the brink of setting out on more adventures. Eruanna couldn't deny that it sounded a wonderful idea but knew she had other matters to attend to first.

Théoden had been laid beside his son and the flowers had begun to grow on his tomb. His nephew had begun settling into his reign as king despite the usual problems such changes may have incurred. Eruanna found the man changeable at the best of times and did everything in her power to avoid him. He had already expressed a disliking for her and she thought it best not to worsen this ill will. Merry and Pippin spent most of their time telling the other hobbits of their escapades around the city while her other comrades occupied themselves with tasks that were needed to be completed. It had seemed so long since she had been alone and she welcomed it, a few moments to breath in the crisp air without the weight of others watching was a joyful thing. Had it not been for the spikes of the outer walls with their black feathered residents she would have thought the citadel almost beautiful now that the changes the new king brought had been put in place.

The feast that evening was far beyond any expectations, great boars and deer were served alongside many other rare delicacy's and in the end even the hobbits couldn't eat much. Once the wine had been drunk and the ale brought out in its place the men began to sing songs of their kings and the greatness that their race endured. Eruanna sat listening painfully aware of her own kind's failures before she could stand it no longer and excused herself. She burst out of the hall forcing away the supressed tears that stung her eyes. Every other race in middle earth sung songs of their greatness but every book she had read on her kind told of monstrous creatures born for battle with no emotion or cares for anyone but themselves. Pacing backwards and forwards to calm herself she gazed up at the glowing sky. Under the same sky far away her people would be celebrating and telling tales of her bravery but her ears would never hear of them. "Bravery is stupid" Eruanna reminded herself as she wandered down the candlelit halls. There she found a library and scanned the titles with very little interest. There where great books on history and valiant tales of knights and princesses. Then her eyes rested on a book smothered in cobwebs that seemed to beg reading. She brushed off the silk threads and opened the crumbled cover to the title page. _'Creatures of legend and myth'_ it read, it was a childish fantasy to read about creatures of old that never really existed or were gone from the world but it was an escape. She flicked through the pages; dragons took up the first few pages then strange mortal folk with fish tales and bears with wings. Fascinated she read each word over and over, learning the names and the legend behind them. Then she turned another page and her heart froze and began to ice over. On the page there was a drawing of an almost vampiric figure, eyes of fire and feathered wings the colour of nightshade. Surrounding the ebony hair there where a collection of stars and from the lips crimson fell in torrents. The name of the creature was Naira. Her fingers traced the cursed name before she began to read.

'_The naira were created by Morgoth as immortal beings to serve in his armies and challenge the elves faithfully then they abandoned their master for a chance to live in a new land name Termoree gifted to them by Eru. When they did not care for these lands Eru banished them to Middle earth where they became cruel and cold. To survive they suck the souls of others and drink the blood of their enemies. Many have the power to change their skin and have magical abilities. Trained from birth to kill they do not know pain or fear and care little about who they harm. Being nocturnal creatures they hunt in packs and often raid small settlements. Greedy and selfish…' _Eruanna tore the page from book and it burst into flames in her palm. "Lies" she spat and hurled the ashes into a nearby corner, "I am not fable." Laughter seemed to erupt from the books surrounding her. "What are you if not what that book says? What are you if not a killer, what other talents do you have? Pray tell us of your noble conquests and acts of valour besides murdering innocent children in their beds!" It was as if every hero was scorning her and everything she stood for. She could think of very little she could do other than use a sword. Backing away from the books she fell backwards into the empty hall. No laughter could be heard or any other sound, across one wall a rat scurried but there was nothing else to see. Eruanna lay back on the cold floor breathing hard and closing her eyes. "What am I doing here?" she asked herself. No answer could be found and she sat up before going in search of the cellars.

They had no one guarding they cellar as everyone was feasting. Eruanna crept down into the shabby dark and into a small room filled with barrels and bottles of all sizes. It looked like they had not been touched for some time as dust had settled on the floor and her prints where the only ones. She did not question it but presumed it to be a reserve cellar. "I'll just pinch one" shed murmured, picking up a weighty bottle of liquid and settling herself on a barrel to drink it. It was sweeter than she anticipated and she gulped it down before shakily picking up another. After another bottle she began to feel light-headed and she downed a fourth before dropping the bottle and watching it shatter on the ground. A giggle rose in her throat and she swigged a more bitter-tasting drink down before opening a barrel and helping herself to the rich contents. She raised her hand in front of her face and it blurred and duplicated. Staggering forward a few steps she saw a shadow flickering round the room. Glass sprayed across a wall and she staggered back grabbing a bottle and hurling it at the shape. The shadow moved closer and vanished. Pain suddenly filled her head and a blow across her skull sent her sprawling before her eyes darkened.

When she stirred she lay on a soft mattress, her head throbbed and her body felt numb. Something in the cellar had tried to kill her. Not daring to open her eyes fully she peered out of one slit between her eyelashes. The room seemed empty so she began to struggle to sit. Instantly two hands supported her and two familiar cool blue eyes stared down at her with disapproval. Legolas stood at the foot of the bed arms folded across his chest. It was Aragorn who helped her to sit and checked the cuts she had sustained. Eruanna tired desperately to read her husband's face but it was a mystery. She smiled meekly at him and he frowned at her before asking Aragorn some strange request in elvish. The man smiled faintly and answered slowly, planning every word before he uttered it. Then the elf sat beside her and began to study her face. Eruanna smiled uncomfortably and both of her companions debated in the foreign tongue what had happened. From what she picked up; both thought she had left with the intention to drink the cellar dry and had fallen over and hit her head. After a few moments more Aragorn departed. After a few minutes of science she could not take the cool gaze and she began to explain. "Someone was trying to kill me." A flicker of amusement past over Legolas's face and he raised an eyebrow. "Actually it wasn't a person." The frown returned and he took her hand. "What was it then?" His eyes seemed to be dancing with mirth. She snatched her hands away and shifted away from him. "I'm not joking. There was something down there and it tried to kill me" she snapped. The laughter in his eyes was gone and it was replaced with a deep sorrow. "I was having a drink and then there was a shadow. I threw a bottle at it and it vanished the next think I knew was a sharp pain in the back of my skull and I passed out." "There was nothing there when we found you" he answered simply. She was about to argue when her stomach began to betray her and she let over the edge of the bed and spewed up the wine from the night before. "What was it you think you saw" Legolas asked once she had collected herself. "A spirit of some king, trapped between the world of the living and that of the realm of the dead. There are many people who had cause to kill me living and dead alike." "I thought they were just stories" he queried. "According to a book my existence is a story" she muttered. His brow creased again with confusion and she explained the events that she could recall.

* * *

Mirkwood seemed a far better name for the forest then greenwood. Its branches were laced with webs and vines, its roots were blackened and decayed. The air stank of blood and sweat from the recent battles and there was a lingering odour of rot. Having left the others and turning towards the halls of Thranduil, Legolas had suggested they follow an old track and see what had become of the forest they had grown up in. Even he had not been prepared for the horrors that had befallen it. When she had visited the forest last the darkness had only just begun to spread. Now it seemed that it had reached every corner of the forest for miles around. She watched as her husband ran his fingers along each tree, listening to the songs they had and praying for their health. There was a grief in his eyes as he relinquished his touch and he would murmur his thanks to each ancient tree as they answered him. After a while they stopped and sat under the shade of the trees, the air still thick and clammy with the rain that had fallen earlier. She sipped at the water from her skin before glancing across at Legolas. He had his eyes closed and was listening intently for some noise or other. The sound of a sky lark suddenly broke the stillness and she saw a smile form on his lips. "The forest is healing" he sighed. Despite what Frodo had claimed about the woods being hallucinogenic she saw nothing usual. Sixty years had passed since Bilbo had walked the woods and much would have changed. Still the darkness that had plagued the forest intrigued her and the further north they traveled the less they saw of it. In Legolas she saw a visible change within him; he smiled often and the grim face he often wore disappeared as they entered the borders of the woodland realm. He began to sing and point out animals that he had not seen in the forest or he would climb trees and tell her tales that he learnt from them.

Her own mood however became darker. Dread began to ebb at her heart, Legolas sensed it when he asked her a question but she did not answer. Instead her eyes rested on what lay ahead of them. Large stone pillars and a door that was guarded by two sentinels. A clear cold river that gushed beneath a stone bridge. A hand worked its way into hers and she glanced up to see her husband studying the gate also. After a few moments he relinquished her hand with a short squeeze and stepped onto the track that wound up to the bridge. Eruanna followed, taking a deep breath before allowing him to lead her up to the gate. The two guards greeted him warmly and gave her uneasy glances. "Send word to my father that I have arrived. Lady Eruanna will be staying with us for some time, inform him that she is here too" Legolas instructed and one of the guards bowed and hurried away.

It was how she had remembered it to be, winding stairs carved from wood and rock, lanterns hanging from high ceilings. The river running through the citadel bubbling below the walkways. They waited in a small chamber for the king and from it she watched other elves going about their lives below. "Is it as you remember?" Legolas asked, kissing her neck and wrapping his arms around her hips. "It is more… grand than I remember" she murmured kissing the sweet tasting mouth to hide her blush. "It is bigger than I remember" he confided and she giggled before kissing his nose. A sudden cough made her jump and Legolas released her hurriedly. "The king wishes to see you both now" the guard stated, frowning at Legolas before glaring at her.

Whatever stories anyone told of king Thranduil, they were far from the truth. He was the definition of a perfect elf in appearance at least. As a child Eruanna had little to do with him and had thought even less of him, as she had grown older she had succeeded in avoiding him to the point where she couldn't have remembered what he had looked like if someone had asked for a description. His manner however was cold. He radiated power and every movement he made was to make a point. It surprised her when the cold marble like king dropped all of these behaviours and hugged his son to him.

"Welcome home Legolas, your presence here has been missed by all" Thranduil said softly. The exchanged words that she could not understand before Thranduil turned to face her. Eruanna steeled herself for the ice gaze that he bestowed upon her and met his glare with defiance. "When did our great kingdom allow the ruined and braggart race of naira thought its doors? Tell me, what might be your name?" She felt sick, and her voice stuck in her throat as she tried hard to form the words. Legolas stepped forward with an air of innocence and put his arm around her waist before looking into his fathers eyes and saying "Ada, this is Eruanna. This is my wife"

* * *

The End...

What will Thranduil's reaction be? Will Legolas and Eruanna's love survive through her trauma and drinking habit, Will she cope when he wants to set sail across the sea. Read part two (Fishing For Dreams) to find out!

Thank you all so much for you wonderful supportive reviews and thank you all for following this story and just generally reading it :D Part two is darker and more about the emotional turmoil the war has left the people of middle earth in...


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